Here’s Ewan Murray’s report from Chisinau.
Play-off spot: secured.#MDASCO pic.twitter.com/gxVWZ5OFzm
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 12, 2021
As Stelios J says: “So, Patterson’s scored, assisted, been booked (meaning he’ll miss the Denmark game), and given away a (saved) penalty! That’s one helluva of an all-action player, right there!”
Get him signed up, Stevie G. Villa need a new Alan Hutton.
The emails are in:
Brian Cruickshank in Canada: “No coverage here ( it’s hockey season ) so greatly appreciate your work. And speaking of hockey season...Canada play Costa Rica in Edmonton ( CONCACAF qualifier ) and it currently 1c. Should be well below freezing by kick off. Home advantage, Canuck style.”
Bogdan Kotarlic: “I am from Serbia but I have always liked the Scottish national football team. I love their kit colours, the passion of their supporters, there is something magical about them. I hope they will qualify for the Qatar 2002, and although Scotland have never progressed to the second round of any tournament they always bring something special to the Euros or the World cups. So, come on Scotland, I think that I am not the only one outside that country who supports Scottish football team.”
Justin Kavanagh: “Tom Robertson needs to read Irvine Welsh’s interview and realise that the future, according to the great Trainspotting guru, is all anarchy and playing football and people writing poetry and making love (the fans presumably). In that case, how can Scotland possibly FAIL to win a World Cup?”
Tom Robertson again: “Find me anyone who has ever, ever doubted a Scottish ‘keeper! It’s football Jim, but not as we know it.”
Simon McMahon: “Yabba dabba doo! Play offs here we come!! COME ON SCOTLAND!!!”
Full-time: Moldova 0-2 Scotland
They’ve done it, and the play-off calculations can begin. Two fine goals, the first from Nathan Patterson who supplied the second for Che Adams. Qatar here they come? Maybes aye, maybes no. But Steve Clarke has put Scotland where they wanted to be. And he gives a wave to the fans as his team close out the game.
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90 min: David Turnbull replaces the excellent John McGinn as three minutes of time added on are announced.
88 min: They’re going to do this, you know. And it’s just the play-offs to go...oh. Probably best to savour the moment for now. The Scotland fans are doing just that.
87 min: Steve Clarke is staying dour and determined on the sideline. Because, well, he’s Steve Clarke. (He’s actually quite a droll man in person.)
85 min: Two Scottish subs. Stoke’s Jacob Brown replaces Che Adams, and Billy Gilmour is replaced by Kenny McLean. A debut for Brown, in fine form for his club team, and playing by virtue of his Scottish mother.
84 min: It’s Scotland, so there was always going to be tension. Rata seemed to get psyched out by Gordon, who delivered shades of David Marshall last year against Serbia.
Penalty saved by Craig Gordon!
Rata takes, and Gordon guesses right. Then Tierney charges in and stops Rata knocking in the rebound. That was heroic from both men. Oh Scotland, this isn’t like you.
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Penalty to Moldova!
80 min: A period of Moldovan pressure, and they actually go close when Tierney is caught unawares and Puntus was on the scene. Oh, here’s a VAR check. It came off Patterson’s hand, did it? Oh yes, it really did. Penalty!
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78 min: Billy Gilmour takes one of the worst free-kicks ever, and passes it straight to a Moldovan. Crap 1990s Football, eat your heart out.
76 min: Scotland sub: off goes Armstrong, on goes Kevin Nisbet of Hibs.
74 min: Good stat from Iain Crocker on Sky: Patterson was the first Rangers player to score for Scotland since Steven Naismith in 2011. What happened to Rangers during that ten years?..actually let’s not go there.
72 min: Patterson again involved, full of adventure from the right-wing back position. Callum McGregor takes a whack, and then Adams has the ball in the net again after McGregor gets up to weave through. Adams was offside, and he wasn’t alone in being so. That’s the third time Adams has had the ball in the net. But only one goal to his name.
70 min: The Tartan Army sing of Super John McGinn, soon to be the apple of Stevie G’s eye. They are making one hell of a racket. The ball is hacked from the line when Liam Cooper heads down and McGinn is lurking.
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68 min: Nice and easy does it for Scotland now. But they are looking for a third. Patterson speeds to the back post to meet a cross and only evasive action from Namasco stops him getting his second.
66 min: John McGinn and Nathan Patterson have been excellent, both key men in the goals Scotland have scored.
Goal! Moldova 0-2 Scotland (Adams, 65)
He’s been due one, and it’s John McGinn who starts the move, playing in Patterson, and Adams hangs at the back post and volleys in. A beauty. A first goal in eight for Adams. Play-offs here they come.
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64 min: In a flash, Moldovan made three subs. At 21 matches without a qualifying win, they are going for broke.
62 min: The second half has not exactly flowed so far. But Adams and Armstrong link well, and then Gilmour seizes on a loose ball, only to crash the ball off a defender and his momentum to bring him crashing down.
60 min: Patterson speeds down the flank, and is fouled by Marandici, tit for tat, and then another Moldovan is booked for a previous foul. It’s Ionita, the captain.
58 min: Gilmour is legged up by Bolohan, and the Moldovan is booked. It looked an equaliser of that Patterson booking.
56 min: Tierney sprints back to cover a rare Moldovan breakaway.
54 min: Patterson is booked for a foul, as Marandici goes down theatrically. That means the goalscorer will now miss the game with Denmark through suspension. Four more Scots are on that knife edge tonight.
52 min: Armstrong runs the width of the Moldova box but cannot find the space to shoot. Instead, he gets to take a corner. And again the first man is not beaten.
50 min: Patterson continues to impress down the right, and he moves forward before Scotland decide to play it safe. Another goal is begging but no point in being daft.
48 min: The StellaRossa gets in touch. Nothing - nothing - can be as stressful as this game, he says. Some classic Archie McPherson down a phone line commentary.
47 min: Sheer power from John McGinn carves a chance for Che Adams but the Saints man can’t get around it. McGinn really is quite a player, he seems as if he could happily mix it in the 1980s.
46 min: Back away we go in Chisinau. The Tartan Army continue in their full voice, starting their repertoire with some Billy Ray Cyrus.
Tom Robertson, a wise head, emails in: “As a long-standing follower, a 1-0 lead away from home in the 70s would mean not only qualification but proof that Scotland will win the World Cup. Today, let’s see the team hold on to, and hopefully extend the lead, to ensure a place in the play-offs. We may have marched with Ally’s army, but now we want to progress methodically with Clarke’s team.”
Half-time: Moldova 0-1 Scotland
Halfway there, halfway to the play-offs, thanks to a fine save from Craig Gordon and a lovely goal from Nathan Patterson. Scotland much the better side, and surely cruising ...best not tempt fate.
45 min+1: Two minutes added on as Patterson gets up for a foul down on the right. He’s covered a lot of ground, the Rangers man. Dear Stevie would be proud, though he’s working with John McGinn from now on.
44 min: Patterson’s touch lets him down after a great Gilmour pass.
43 min: Scotland sitting back. Lads, it’s Moldova. And we know how this stuff can go for Scotland. Some of us seen that before. Flower of Scotland rings out in triumph, followed by a bagpipe that seems to stop everyone else singing.
41 min: Patterson called into action in defence and he hoiks clear as Moldova push for a quick equaliser.
39 min: Uh oh, VAR is here to muddy the waters. But the goal stands! Phew. We are not told what the delay was, but that’s part of the fun, right?
Goal! Moldova 0-1 Scotland (Patterson, 38)
John McGinn is the creator, as he lays off to Nathan Patterson who runs on to the ball and finishes off the right-hand side with his left foot. Ya beauty!
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37 min: Moldova pass it around, and Scotland seem reluctant to press. That would seem a mistake even if their opponents lack the quality to create too much.
35 min: McGregor whacks over after Armstrong holds up the ball. That was a waste.
34 min: McGinn takes said corner and it, yet again, doesn’t beat the first man. Moldova almost get away and it takes Tierney to sweep up the danger at the back.
33 min: Scotland force a corner. The last two didn’t beat the last man, and Billy Gilmour’s attempt suffers the same fate. Another corner results from the stramash that follows.
31 min: From bright beginnings, it seems as if the odd goal may have to do for Scotland. Billy Gilmour can be influential but does look to be a tad rusty, as he might be having not played so much under Daniel Farke at Norwich. Still, Frank Lampard is coming in...oh.
30 min: Scotland attack in numbers, while Moldova defend in numbers. There does seem to be a lack of anyone to hold the ball up, which would be the job of Lyndon Dykes were he available.
28 min: The bagpipes now being backed by a bodhran. The away team does look to be flagging a little.
26 min: Moldova look far more confident now. And that may be good news for Scotland, who could find more space. Che Adams duly does so but drags his shot wide.
24 min: A little warning for Scotland and that’s raised the home hackles somewhat. A good TV stat: Craig Gordon has played every minute of Scotland’s matches against Moldova.
22 min: A Moldovan attack, and a fine save from Gordon. What a save in fact. Ionita headed down and that was something of a Gordon Banks rather than Craig Gordon. Good concentration from the veteran of that McBerti 1-1 game.
20 min: The Tartan Army sing a song to the tune of Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is A Place On Earth, presumably in tribute to their surroundings in downtown Chisinau. They turn to gasps when Che Adams takes his time over a shot on goal and is robbed.
18 min: More down the left, and Robertson speeds on to an Adams flick. He shoots straight at Namasco when Paterson was begging for a pass.
17 min: So close! Robertson and Armstrong speed down the left, and then a shot comes in from the latter. Namasco can only claw the ball, and that stops Che Adams poking the ball in.
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15 min: Scotland’s play is patient. No panic just yet, and good use of the left flank where Che Adams adds to the overload that Robertson and Tierney offer.
13 min: Ach, the sound of bagpipes rings out.
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12 min: Scotland don’t necessarily need to win this. They await good news of Israel’s match with Austria. Meanwhile, Tierney goes down but there seemed to be little impact on him to produce that reaction. Play on, says the Serbian ref.
10 min: Pinball in the Moldova box as Gilmour and Armstrong ping in shots. The chances are piling up. This is far better than the Faroes performance.
8 min: Nice noise from the 300 Scotland fans. That’s the official number. And it looks like more. This could be an unforgettable trip.
6 min: Adams and Armstrong link, and Armstrong’s shot is a little too weak to test the Moldovan goalie Namasco. But still, spaces and chances being created. It doesn’t yet look like *one* of those nights.
5 min: Steve Clarke looks dour and unmoved on the sideline. Steve Clarke always looks dour and unmoved on the sideline. But he might have had a scare there. Ionita went too close for comfort.
3 min: Scotland have the ball in the net. McGinn scampers through, misses the ball and his flick goes to Adams, who calmly scores. But: offside. Just offside.
2 min: John McGinn with an early foray and he finds Armstrong who strays away from an angle to get a proper shot in.
1 min: And away we go, as Scotland try to make it five wins from five in the qualifiers.
Some manly hi fives between Andy Robertson and his opposite number the Moldova captain, and the officials and then we are go. Let’s do this, Scotland.
The teams take to the field, and it’s only a short walk from dressing room to the field. The Tartan Army make themselves heard during Flower of Scotland. There’s not many in the stadium tonight. Perhaps this isn’t the hottest ticket in Chisinau. At least the Scots don’t boo the Moldovan national anthem.
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Steve Clarke speaks to Sky Sports.
They made it a tough for us at Hampden. They want to finish on a high but we want to make the qualifiers. I hope it works. It’s a system that can work for us. Che will give us pace down the sides. Its only a little tweak to the system. Rather than two up front it’s one one up front with two behind.
Momentous day for Craig Gordon. Someone of his talent really should have had more than 62 caps, but here we are. He will pass “Elvis” Pressley v Denmark.
@JohnBrewin_
— Hearts Heritage (@Hearts_Heritage) November 12, 2021
Craig Gordon @JamTarts equal top cap holder
1-Steven Pressley (Scotland): 32 caps 0 goals
1-Craig Gordon (Scotland): 32 caps 0 goals
3-Bobby Walker (Scotland): 29 caps 8 goals
4-Andy Webster (Scotland): 27 caps 1 goal
4-Saul Mikoliunas (Lithuania): 27 caps 4 goals
Simon McMahon emails in on the subject of that classic brutalist scenery: “Hi John. Scotland will be right at home in that stadium. It could be Glasgow or Dundee in the 1980s. There are still a few ‘classic Eastern European’ stadiums in Scotland today. Mostly in Fife. 2-0 Scotland. No drama. I hope.”
More on that McBerti draw with Moldova in 2004, when Ewan Murray spoke to Craig Gordon, who is the sole survivor.
The Scotland team that day: Craig Gordon, Gary Caldwell, Stephen Caldwell, Andy Webster, Gary Naysmith (Ian Murray 46), Darren Fletcher (Kenny Miller 66), Grant Holt, Barry Ferguson, Colin Cameron, Steven Thompson (Lee McCulloch 85), Stevie Crawford. Subs Not Used: David Marshall, Scott Severin, Richard Hughes, Graeme Murty
Correction: Gary Holt rather than Grany Holt, who surely would have powered home a header, and is English, too.
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Two changes for Scotland, and pretty much as expected though Steve Clarke has rejigged his team into a new formation. Liam Cooper comes in for Scott McTominay to make up a back three. Stuart Armstrong partners Southampton teammate Che Adams in attack, as Ryan Christie is also suspended with Dykes. That’s a 5-3-2/ 3-5-2, and will make use of that combination of Tierney on the left of defence and Andy Robertson outside him.
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It looks lovely out there.
Moldova v Scotland. Classic Eastern European football stadium pic.twitter.com/jefjUhevdC
— alan pattullo (@alan_pattullo) November 12, 2021
Here are the teams
Moldova: Namasco, Jardan, Posmac, Bolohan, Revenco, Rata, Dros, Ionita, Marandici, Nicolaescu, Ginsari. Subs: Calanea, Bogaciuc, Puntus, Cociuc, Cojocaru, Arhirii, Razgoniuc, Celeadnic, Iovu,
Cotogoi, Iosipoi, Dan Spataru.
Scotland: Gordon, Hendry, Cooper, Tierney, Patterson, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson, John McGinn, Adams, Armstrong. Subs: McLean, Turnbull, McKenna, Ferguson, Nisbet, Clark, Brown, McLaughlin, Souttar, O’Donnell.
Referee: Srdjan Jovanovic (Serbia)
Preamble
Nothing can go wrong now. Sorry, make that anything can wrong now, since this is Scotland, for whom late-stage qualifying collapse are almost as great a part of Scottish football folklore as going out in the first round of a finals. All has not gone smoothly in preparation, with Scott McTominay pulling out with a sore throat and then Ryan Fraser pulling out with an injury, only to be pictured training with Eddie Howe at Newcastle. Lyndon Dykes, who scored that late, dramatic winner against the Faroe Islands is out suspended when his goals have powered Scotland along in this campaign. At least he made the trip out to cheer on his pals.
Nevertheless, Steve Clarke is a manager for whom the description of being steely was probably invented and he knows the task in hand. Win this one and a World Cup play-off is within reach, meaning dynamic, devastating Denmark would turn up at Hampden for a dead rubber. Last time the teams met, it was 1-0 in Glasgow, and the last time Scotland played in Chisinau, under McBerti Vogts, it was 1-1. And 1-1 won’t be enough. Moldova have conceded 24 goals in eight matches so far. Surely, surely Scotland can do this. Surely?
Kick-off is at 5pm. Join me.
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