Gordon Strachan looked absolutely impassive at the end of that. Relief, perhaps. Had they not won, that may well have been him out of a job. It was one of his substitutes who won it for them and put them right in touch with the pack behind England – and you can’t say they didn’t deserve it. The first-half performance was very good and should have seen them in the lead. After the break it was, in honesty, pretty uninspired stuff and the departure of Griffiths through injury didn’t help. But they kept at it, gained another gear when Anya – who missed a big chance himself – came on, and found a second wind towards the end. Slovenia, for their part, showed virtually nothing in attack and looked happy to settle for a draw as that went on. They didn’t get one; Scotland win, and now they look to the big one against England here in June.
Other business: Slovakia won 3-1 in Malta, in the group’s other game. And Northern Ireland beat Norway 2-0!
Thanks for reading and contributing – and enjoy what remains of your weekend!
Full-time: Scotland 1-0 Slovenia
That’s it! What drama! And it is, for now at least, right back on for Scotland!
90+3 min: Scotland have the ball in Slovenia’s half. Now they have a free-kick. Surely, now ...
90+2 min: Back underway and Samardzhic clatters Martin. He’s booked too.
90+1 min: We will see three minutes of added time. Brown has an injury so that may be extended.
How about that! How about it? It’s Armstrong, tricking towards the left edge of the box, who shows wonderful composure under pressure to slip Martin in. There’s still work to do but the substitute, who’s only been on five or six minutes, shoots left-footed and clips it across Oblak and in off the post. Clinical, somewhat unexpected, but on the balance of play deserved – it keeps Scotland in the World Cup and those who are inside Hampden go crazy!
Goal! Scotland 1-0 Slovenia 0 (Martin 88)
They’ve pulled it out of the fire!!!
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87 min: Slovenia’s main contribution now is a run of niggly fouls. The niggle things up further by replacing Kampl with Omladic.
85 min: They are throwing everything forward now – but is it too late? Brown misplaces a simple pass just as the pressure is building, and he’s greeted by boos. It won’t be great at full-time if Scotland don’t find something.
84 min: Martin shows the kind of hold-up play Scotland could have used and tees up Naismith 20 yards out, but the shot is inconsequential.
82 min: Here’s their last throw of the dice though, and we do see Chris Martin – in place of Morrison.
81 min: It is a long time since Slovenia offered any kind of threat, by the way, although that is hardly to say Scotland have done much in this half beyond Anya’s chance. It has been huff and puff, mainly.
79 min: They like it when Anya wriggles to the left byline and wins a corner, though. No Snodgrass so Forrest takes. He goes low but Mulgrew can’t flick towards goal ... but then the ball comes back to Forrest, who gets to that same byline and tries to square back to a team-mate for a tap-in, but it’s desperately cleared. Better, this!
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78 min: The crowd, we are told, is just over 20,000. The capacity is just over 50,000. That tells you something.
76 min: Anya should score with his first touch! Oh my! The ball squirts to him, completely alone on the left side of the box, and although he has to adjust his body slightly to shoot with his right foot he only has to pass it beyond Oblak. Instead, he doesn’t get enough on it and Oblak dives to gather. What an introduction that could, should, have been!
75 min: He is. On comes Anya.
74 min: Looks like Ikechi Anya is being readied. He has the zip to liven up a performance that has gone very flat – but I’d still get a striker on there. Snodgrass whips a first-time shot well over, I think he’s about to be hooked though.
73 min: I mean, I know nothing at all – but I’d be having Chris Martin or Jordan Rhodes on pretty soon now.
72 min: Oblak is out very sharply to gather a decent enough Tierney cross – that’s where you really need a centre-forward attacking the ball but Scotland don’t really have one on the pitch.
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70 min: It’s a bit quiet in Hampden now. The belief appears to be ebbing away.
69 min: Naismith has the ghost of a chance from a Snodgrass delivery but flicks his header across goal. It’s Slovenia who bring on a striker now, Robert Beric replacing Birsa ...
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66 min: Scotland might as well lose this game as draw. Time for some risks? Chuck another striker on? The chances have dried up. Snodgrass tries to fashion one with another free-kick but, again, it meets the fist of Oblak.
64 min: A deep Snodgrass free-kick fizzes in with danger but Oblak fists it away.
62 min: Tierney makes an important clearance from a threatening Birsa cross to the left. Moments late Scotland break and this time it’s Birsa in the book for a foul on Morrison. Birsa, like Cesar, misses their home game with Malta.
60 min: Coming up to the hour mark though and Scotland haven’t been as creative as in the first half. Griffiths’ injury hasn’t helped but there may be other factors: Slovenia have sharpened up their act a bit, too. It needs something big now.
59 min: Tierney rampages thrillingly down the right and is challenged; the ball falls to Snodgrass, who crosses for Naismith, but the substitute makes a foul. Now Besjak is replaced by Verbic for Slovenia.
57 min: Armstrong finds Mulgrew, who crosses sharply and wins a corner from Struna. A bit of pressure from Scotland here. Snodgrass delivers well but Slovenia clear.
55 min: One of the positives for Scotland has been the performance of Celtic’s Armstrong, on his international debut, who has been both lively and composed. Besjak is rather less of the latter, getting a yellow for hacking down Tierney.
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54 min: Simon McMahon speaks to us again – “I know a lot of people, myself included, are a bit down on Scotland at the moment, but it’s not easy for smaller nations. I mean it’s not like, say, Northern Ireland, or Wales, or Iceland, who could reasonably be compared with Strachan’s men, have done anything recently either, is it?”
Oooof!
53 min: Brown stops a breaking Bezjak and than blocks an Ilicic shot. Slovenia have been better at the start of this half.
51 min: Forrest almost gets in behind but can’t get the ball under his spell for a shot and a glimmer of a chance is snuffed out.
51 min: Not the start to the half Scotland wanted, and it could get worse as Tierney concedes a left-sided corner, Slovenia’s first. Birsa delivers but Robertson gets his head on it.
50 min: Steven Naismith will replace Griffiths now.
48 min: He’s down now, just inside his own half. I think that might be it for him. I know he missed those chances – that one in particular – but it’d be a huge blow to lose him. He is a constant menace and always sharp. Looking at that Oblak challenge again – I’m not sure anyone, even a keeper, should be leading with the knee like that.
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47 min: Bit of a concern over Griffiths. He doesn’t seem to have shaken off the knock he got from Oblak. If he can’t run it off in the first 10 I wonder if we’ll see much more of him.
Peeeeeep! Second half underway ...
... and a HUGE half for Scotland.
Oh, and Northern Ireland are 2-0 up over Norway – I missed that. It’d be a big result for them.
Ok, second half coming up in a few minutes. Can Scotland keep the chances coming ... and can they keep the door shut against a Slovenia side that has, just once or twice, looked a threat?
It’s Malta 1-2 Slovakia at half-time in the group’s other game. Predictable (although Malta did tie it up at 1-1 for a spell), but underlines just how much the points would be vital for either side at Hampden.
Half-time: Scotland 0-0 Slovenia
Well, Scotland should be ahead. For the most part they’ve been bright, positive, inventive and quick. There’ve been several half-chances but the headline moments will be those two Griffiths efforts, within a minute of each other, that rapped the woodwork. He *had* to bury the first of them – it was a sitter. Will he, and they, live to regret it? We’ll see ...
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45 min: It’s poor from Snodgrass, cleared on the volley around the penalty spot. Griffiths challenges Oblak from the second ball, pumped in high, and takes a blow to the back. He’s having treatment but he’ll be OK.
44 min: Tierney mops up neatly as Jokic tries to run into space. The excellent Robertson then counters and is snuffed out on the edge of the box – but then Armstrong wins a corner ...
41 min: Into the wall from Birsa. No instant punishment for Griffiths.
40 min: On the plus side, Scotland have created chances and should – really, really should – be ahead. On the minus, we’ve all seen what happens in these situations before. And now Slovenia *do* win a free-kick 25 yards out, conceded by Brown...
37 min: Griffiths hits the woodwork again! That’s amazing – he’s hit the frame twice in a minute! Much better effort this time as Armstrong cuts the ball back from the right and Griffiths, from 15 yards, clips low and sharply onto the near post, across goal and out. It’s put behind for a corner and Morrison’s header is flicked over by the man on the line. How close can Scotland come here?
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36 min: How does Griffiths miss? Oh, no! Robertson overlaps wonderfully down the left, at lightning speed, and dinks perfectly across to Griffiths at the far post. The ball has taken Oblak out, the goal is gaping, Griffiths shapes to volley ... and smacks it onto the top of the bar from a matter of yards! What a chance!
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34 min: Slovenia, led by Ilicic, have their first spell of sustained pressure around the Scotland area but Birsa is the latest to flop over dramatically in hope of a non-forthcoming free-kick. Then Cesar, who needs to be careful now, fouls Griffiths in the middle of the park.
32 min: After a bit of a lull, Scotland have been on the front foot again for the last few minutes. A goal before half-time would be a real tonic.
30 min: A superb sequence of play by Scott Brown, winning the ball midway inside his own half before, near the opposition corner flag, backheeling into Armstrong’s path, leads to a cross that Griffiths heads over at the near post.
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28 min: Close! Snodgrass cleverly works space for a cross and it’s headed out to Morrison, 22 yards out, who controls and then half-volleys just wide! Oblak was beaten by that.
26 min: The crowd do not like it when Scotland take too long on the ball inside their half. Slovenia, to be fair, are pressing them strongly. Ilicic volleys far over, in the meantime, and there are a few hints of danger in the air at the moment.
24 min: Kurtic cuts inside, tries to buy a free-kick just outside the area, fools nobody. That should be a booking too, definitely.
23 min: Cesar is booked for spending ages over a free-kick. That earns him a suspension so it’s very silly.
21 min: Another Scotland corner, though, won by the overlapping Robertson on the left. Forrest receives the short ball, takes too long to work the angle and by the time he does, he crosses it out of play.
20 min: That was a warning sign. Scotland have looked enthusiastic going forward but a little open at the other end once or twice. If they go a goal down, this stadium may well turn.
19 min: Chance for Slovenia! Jokic rakes a ball down the left to Bezjak, who is played onside, and from a tight angle he drills the ball towards goal. Gordon stands up solidly and makes a vital block.
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16 min: Martin floats a really bad backpass vaguely in the direction of Gordon and the keeper has to dash out and head away. You do get the impression, already, that despite their lively start Scotland mustn’t test the crowd’s patience too much here. They try to delight them as I write that, but Forrest’s cross is headed a few metres wide by the twisting Griffiths.
14 min: Good possession from Scotland, but from a reasonable position at Forrest’s feet it ends back in their own half. But after that Snodgrass looks to find Griffiths through the middle; the ball’s cut out but the idea was nice.
13 min: Simon McMahon says – “Normally I’d use capitals, but a mixture of apathy and hopelessness leads me to say only, come on Scotland.”
11 min: Mulgrew comes across well to stop Birsa advancing down the right. Slovenia just settling a bit, even if they’re not threatening. Scotland need to keep the momentum up.
9 min: The first calm spell of the game, really. Strachan said his side didn’t need to try and win it in the first five minutes but they gave it a darned good go.
7 min: ... from which Martin gets up, heads firmly downwards, and finds the net! But he’s been all over Cesar and it’s correctly ruled out. Again, though, Strachan will be thrilled with his team’s early efforts.
6 min: Now a Scotland free-kick on the right as Forrest is taken out by Jokic, totally unnecessarily. Jokic is booked, a touch harshly I think. Snodgrass’s delivery is poor but Armstrong hooks it into the box and Oblak has to tip it over for another flag kick ...
4 min: Another Scottish sortie as Forrest drags a shot wide. Just before that, a fine Robertson challenge thwarted a dangerous Slovenia break. It’s all guns blazing from the home side so far!
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3 min: Scotland have started really well. Now Armstrong finds Tierney, whose shot is deflected and spins awkwardly enough for Oblak to scamper across his goal and paw behind. It’s another corner but this time Krhin clears.
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2 min: Early corner for Scotland as Oblak, he of Atletico Madrid, misjudges the bounce of a long ball and tips it behind. Then an early chance! Snodgrass whips the set piece in and we see the better side of Oblak as, from Russell Martin’s six-yard volley, he dives to his right and parries superbly!
Peeeeeeep! Ok, here we go ...
I should have mentioned that we just had a superbly-observed minute’s silence for the victims of the terrorist attack in London. That being done, Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers sets the hare running. Scotland will kick the ball from left to right against the green-clad Slovenians.
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One more observation before kick-off: there seem to be tonnes of empty seats in there. Apathy? Hopelessness? Both?
I do like Flower of Scotland. It’s a great anthem.
Jane O’KANE – she has confirmed it – wants to clarify: “I honestly don’t want them to lose, I just feel it gives Strachan another chance and I do not believe he is the man to take us to a major finals. Had too many chances, time to go.”
The teams are emerging for anthems and assorted pleasantries. I can hear the Hampden Roar from here. Scotland are, I can confirm, wearing their usual navy blue and white this time.
Jane Okane (or quite possibly Jane O’Kane, but there’s an apostrophe possibly missing and I don’t want to be presumptuous) wants her side to lose! “Really hope Scotland lose this, Strachan is the wrong man for the job. Listening to idiots saying he should play more Celtic players, and what does he do? Time to change manager and try to get a bit of respect back in the final few games as we are going nowhere under Strachan.”
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Richard Gibbs writes: “Win, and as you say, we’re back in the “mix”, lose and Strachan and, especially, McGhee get the bullet - how can a coach actually say “You never know, we might be decent and they might have something to cheer” - is that the sum total of his coaching ability, cross your fingers and hope we’re decent?”
Here’s your England match report, if you’re that way inclined, from Daniel Taylor:
Slovenia’s away results so far haven’t been all that fearsome – a 2-2 draw in Lithuania and a 1-0 victory in Malta. If Scotland can impose themselves, you’d think they can dominate the ball, apply some pressure and create some openings.
Keep the dream alive. 👊🏻#NeverFollow #SCOSVN pic.twitter.com/twYH6xZR9y
— adidas UK (@adidasUK) March 26, 2017
The huge, huge plus for Scotland is that surely they won’t be wearing that kit again.
Gordon Strachan is as candid as anyone in admitting this is a must-win. But are there any nerves? “You can never tell with players,” he reveals.
England have beaten Lithuania 2-0 (I suppose you could say that’s a good result for Scotland) – see how it happened here:
That Scotland side has a fair bit of mobility up top – but is there anyone who can keep a hold of the ball?
Tonight's teams
Scotland: Gordon; Tierney, Mulgrew, R Martin, Robertson; Brown, Morrison; Forrest, Armstrong, Snodgrass; Griffiths. Subs: Hamilton, McGregor, Anya, Berra, Fletcher, Bannan, Ritchie, McGinn, Cairney, C Martin, Naismith, Rhodes.
Slovenia: Oblak; Al. Struna, Samardzic, Cesar, Jokic; Krhin, Kampl, Krtic; Birsa, Bezjak, Ilicic. Subs: Belec, Koprivec, Sirok, Krajnc, Beric, Novakovic, An. Struna, Mevlja, Omladic, Zajc, Verbic, Crnic.
Hello
Scotland the Brave? Perhaps – but first of all it’s Scotland the Desperate, really, because this is the final drink in the last-chance saloon for their World Cup hopes and, quite possibly, for Gordon Strachan’s time in charge too. It’s been an utterly miserable start to the qualifiers and, even if they gave it a go against England in November before being breezily swatted aside at Wembley, the simple truth is that they just haven’t been good enough. A 1-1 draw with Canada in a midweek friendly didn’t do a lot to spur thoughts that they might have improved much in the meantime – but hey, this is football and weird things can/do/will happen. A win would, just like that, put them a point behind tonight’s opponents and right back in The Mix.
It’s not especially easy to make things happen against a dogged and neat Slovenia, though. Slovenia are a superb example of a national team that punches above their weight – the kind Scotland are routinely advised to learn from but, systemically, never do. They need the win, too, otherwise Slovakia are likely to overhaul them and go second with a win in Malta. So it could be that we’re in for quite a high-octane affair. Here’s hoping.
Send in your thoughts via email or Twitter – and let the games begin ...
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Nick will be here soon enough. Until then, read Andy Hunter’s preview:
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