ALL TO PLAY-OFF FOR
TWENTY years ago today, David Seaman clawed a Christian Dailly header off the line at Wembley to block Scotland’s path to Euro 2000.
There was a 6-0 play-off humiliation in Holland under embattled Berti Vogts in 2003 and a suspicious Spanish refereeing decision at Hampden aiding Italy four years later.
But Scotland have not been closer to a major tournament in two decades than on that night of the most glorious of all failures when Don Hutchison’s header shocked the Auld Enemy.
As in 1999, Scotland are only a couple of games away from a return to savouring a showpiece summer.
Yet that has absolutely nothing to do with Euro 2020 qualifying Group I. And on the evidence of all recent form and pervading apathetic mood, that elusive goal has never felt so far away.
Rediscovering long-lost confidence, gathering much-needed momentum for March and establishing a winning mentality are priorities pinpointed as a desperate campaign draws to a close.
Here in Nicosia’s GSP Stadium, a team pruned of English Premier League stars, for a catalogue of different reasons, hit the target on all three counts.
Small gains for now. Hopefully significant ones boding well for the future.
Thanks to a 12th-minute strike of effortless class from Ryan Christie and the fifth goal of John McGinn’s international career, Scotland hurdled the hosts by two points with one Group I game to play.
Victory over Kazakhstan on Tuesday will secure third place and a third win in a row ahead of the play-offs and the bid for back-door entry to Euro 2020.
Skippered by Steven Naismith on his 50th cap, Andrew Robertson’s stand-in led and defended from the front on a day when boss Steve Clarke admitted the result was everything and performance a secondary consideration.
If you are meant to grow more cantankerous in your old age then heaven help the opponents of the Hearts striker as his career enters its twilight years.
The typically-combative 33-year-old scrapped for everything, niggled away and demanded from all in dark blue before his substitution on the hour.
Thankfully all was reported as well following an injury scare just before Oli McBurnie replaced him. While Naismith assumed the armband from Champions League winner Robertson, Greg Taylor bagged the Liverpool star’s berth on the left side of defence. He proved a very able deputy with a fine display, plus an assist for the 53rd-minute winner.
All this after precious little club football for Celtic.
Declan Gallagher, superb for Motherwell since a summer switch from Livingston, was preferred to Mikey Devlin.
Alongside Devlin’s flatmate Scott McKenna, Gallagher helped Scotland just about survive multiple scares all the way to the end.
Central defence remains a problem area and how Clarke would love more time to drill a back four together before the critical spring clashes.
The search for an elusive midfield balance has been a theme of his troubles, too, especially against top-class nations such as Belgium and Russia.
Ryan Jack’s first competitive Scotland appearance was granted with Kenny McLean and Scott McTominay unavailable through injury.
But it was from an impressive, incisive move from the middle of the park that Cyprus should have seized a sixth-minute lead.
The one-two shaped by Fotis Papoulis and Pieros Sotiriou placed Scotland on the back pedal and George Efrem took over to pile on the discomfort.
McKenna was outfoxed by Efrem’s quick feet and the shot beat David Marshall, crashing against the underside of the crossbar and seemingly down over the line.
Harald Lechner enjoyed an exceptionally fussy day of doling out yellows but that was the least of the home side’s complaints against the Austrian. Efrem was denied the goal as the referee waved play on.
If a turning-point stroke of luck was needed for Clarke’s side to hit their stride, then that may have done the trick.
Scotland quickly regrouped after the let-off and soon profited from the Cypriots’ misfortune.
It was equally encouraging, too, later in the game that it took only six minutes to recover from the blow of being pegged back at 1-1.
For the opener, McGinn’s neat turn and switch out right for Christie was quality. The work of the Celtic playmaker even more startling.
Christie cut inside and spied an ambitious route to goal that few left feet could execute.
However, this was well within the skillset of this confidence player who loves a long-range strike and Christie’s powerful, swerving effort arched over Urko Pardo for his first goal in Scotland colours.
A little payback for Christie, too, that it was McGinn prompting this precious moment.
The Aston Villa man had audaciously pinched Christie’s strike for a tap-in against San Marino on the way to a hat-trick last month.
Christie was nominated by Malky Mackay as the future of Scottish football after a debut against Holland at Pittodrie two years ago. The 24-year-old is a
superior and rapidly improving talent since then and showcased much of it here, including the type of tireless graft that Clarke loves.
Scotland were thankful Marshall pushed away Sotiriou’s low drive from 22 yards and that Ioannis Costi stumbled after a fine Jason Demetriou delivery gave Cyprus a glaring chance.
Liam Palmer showed Costi how to tame a ball with ease. Taking a clearance from a corner under pressure, the impressive Sheffield Wednesday man unleashed a 25-yard drive. Cyprus were spared by a deflection which diverted the ball narrowly wide.
For technique from distance, however, ex-Rangers reserve Efrem stole the show and forced Clarke to start over again.
McKenna lunged into a bookable challenge on Costi to concede a free-kick two minutes into the second half.
Gallagher cleared the testing inswinger with his head and Efrem’s gaze tracked the drop of the ball all the way. He fashioned a fabulous right-foot volley from 16 yards which fizzed into the top corner.
Scotland had not reacted well to conceding goals recently. Against a lesser light, there were no such concerns.
Persistence and patience from Taylor served Scotland well as he recycled a move down the left with the aid of Celtic colleague Callum McGregor.
The former Kilmarnock full-back’s cross was met confidently by a first-time, left-foot finish from McGinn. A terrific response from Scotland to a setback.
There was no discouraging the hosts, however, and certainly not chief danger man Demetriou.
He was guilty of a very naughty foul on Taylor but his wicked deliveries into the penalty area were most pleasing on the eye for home fans.
Costi’s diving header from yet another ball in from the Southend United defender scraped the outside of Marshall’s post to Scotland’s relief.
A flurry of late attempts from Cyprus were mercifully wayward, including Papoulis blazing over from close range in a heart-stopping moment for the Scots and, in stoppage time, a free-kick from Grigoris Kastanos dipping delightfully too late to bother Marshall.