Just when Ukraine thought they had dealt with everything that could possibly be thrown at them.
Just when it seemed the spirit which has carried their nation through unspeakable horrors was about to break the sporting resolve of Scotland for a second time in four months. Just when Steve Clarke and his players were running out of ways to dismantle their defences.
John McGinn resorted to the very last resort available. And he brought them down with his BUM. McGinn’s trademark turn might be a throwback to the days of Kenny Dalglish but Ukraine didn’t see it coming and when it did, it reduced them to pieces as the skipper fired home a vital opening goal with time fast running out. Two late goals from sub Lyndon Dykes made it look comfortable on the night. But this was a win which Scotland could not have more richly deserved, given the performances all over the pitch.
Clarke sprung a major surprise before kick-off. He had chosen this moment – one of enormous importance given the circumstances – to do away with his trademark three-at-the-back formation. By reverting to a flat four, he moved Scott McTominay ’s muscle into midfield and deployed Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Christie on either side of striker Che Adams.
It was entirely unexpected and Clarke may have been hoping that this impromptu overhaul might have messed with whatever malevolent masterplan the Ukrainians had. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. In fact, it quickly turned out to be a masterstroke of his own. First though, came the ignominy of having to listen to a predictably obnoxious element of the home support boo another trashed tribute to the Queen.
This was an unwantedly bad start to the night. Thankfully, when the game started, things quickly began to look a great deal better. Scotland were pressing far higher up the pitch with McGinn leading an advanced role in midfield and Callum McGregor and McTominay bolting the doors behind him. Christie and Armstrong were finding pockets of space down both sides and Adams was using his bulk to let the Ukrainians know they were in a proper game this time.
And with Kieran Tierney and Nathan Patterson bursting forward from full-back positions, Ukraine’s players seemed rattled. Patterson set the tone in the opening seconds when he galloped back into his own box to execute a tackle on the dangerous Mykhaylo Mudryk to snuff out an early raid.
From that moment the Everton sensation didn’t put a foot wrong until the 22nd minute when, sickeningly, his leg buckled under the weight of Ruslan Malinovskyi and he had to limp off in a state of obvious distress before being taken away on a stretcher. This was a considerable setback given the way Scotland had settled. Adams might have opened the scoring twice in the frantic opening exchanges had he gambled to get on McGinn’s head flick and Christie’s low cross.
In between times, the Southampton man forced keeper Anatoliy Trubin into a first save of the night with a shot from 18 yards. Then two chances for Christie who headed the first one over at full stretch and couldn’t adjust his feet in time to convert from close range after Trubin had fumbled Armstrong’s effort.
The pause for Patterson’s injury robbed Scotland of momentum, with Aaron Hickey sent on. But Scotland ended the half back on the front foot and Valeriy Bondar was the luckiest man in Hampden not to be sent off for a brutal assault on Adams just when the powerful striker was surging in behind Ukraine’s defence at full pelt.
When he reappeared for the second half it was Bondar’s turn to be subjected to angry jeers every time he touched the ball. And this was perfectly justified. There was a momentary scare at the other end when Craig Gordon raced out of his box to tidy up a long probe only for his hurried clearance to drop to Mudryk who fired a first-time effort towards the keeper’s empty net.
But his aim was out and Scotland survived before carving out their next big chances of the night. First, Tierney’s perpetual motion carried him to the byeline from where he picked out Armstrong with a cut-back but, again, the shot was straight down Trubin’s throat.
Then McTominay’s drag-back set Armstrong up for another sight at goal but this one blazed over. Adams hit the bar from a McGinn cross and then had a second header scrambled off the line by Trubin’s feet. It was all becoming agonising now and when Armstrong headed wide it began to feel ominously so.
But then with 20 minutes left the breakthrough finally arrived when Ukraine, now camped inside their own box, were finally undone. By McGinn’s backside. It seemed another Scotland attack had been repelled at first but Tierney’s doggedness kept it alive.
His ball into the box was rushed and untidy but McGinn made it his by buffeting into Bondar and sending the big man sprawling all in one trademark turn before lashing home from 16 yards. The outstanding Adams and Armstrong made way in 76 minutes with Dykes and Ryan Fraser taking over. And in no time the pair had combined to devastating effect not once but twice.
Two identical Fraser corners, two towering leaps from Dykes. Two unstoppable headers into the back of the net. No wonder they looked stunned by it all. This was no ordinary defeat after all. This was the ultimate bum’s rush.
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