Scotland side managed to hold firm against Ukraine
Adepleted Scotland side managed to hold firm against Ukraine to win promotion to the highest tier of the Nations League.
Steve Clarke’s side, decimated by injuries and suspension, 2
needed only a point to finish top of Group B1 and they had
to ride their luck at times before celebrating a massive result in the Cracovia Stadium.
beaten 3-0 at Hampden Park last week,
missed two great chances in particular in the goalless first half and keeper Craig Gordon looked in unbeatable form.
Scotland finished two points clear of Oleksandr Petrakov’s side at the top of Group B1 and aside from promotion to the top tier,
a place among the second seeds for the European Championship
qualifiers and a play-off spot for that competition
if the normal qualification campaign does not go to plan was also secured.
Grant Hanley,
Liam Cooper and skipper Andy Robertson had failed
among others, Kieran Tierney,
Nathan Patterson, Scott McKenna and Scott McTominay,
the latter suspended, while a virus had also affected the camp.
In the event,
there were six changes from the weekend’s win over the Republic
of Ireland with 23-year-old Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous pitched in for his debut and Kenny McLean,
Greg Taylor, Ryan Jack,
Ryan Fraser and Che Adams back in the side.
ongoing war on Ukraine and officially there were 3,000 Tartan Army inside the 15,000-capacity
stadium making plenty of noise as the Scots started purposefully.
In the second minute Ukraine keeper Andriy Lunin
Ukraine settled and should have gone ahead in the seventh minute when speedy winger Mykhailo Mudryk picked out unmarked captain Andriy Yarmolenko
at the back post but he volleyed high over the bar with only Gordon to beat.
There was another let-off for the Scots in the 22nd minute when Artem Dovbyk
ran on to Yarmolenko’s wonderful pass and past Porteous but the veteran Hearts keeper was equal to the shot.
There was drama minutes later when Greek referee Tasos Sidiropoulos
awarded Scotland a penalty for a Taras Stepanenko handball in the box from a Fraser shot but ruled it out after a VAR check.
In the 31st minute Jack fired over the bar from 16 yards after the Blue and Yellow struggled with another corner,
before the unmarked Stepanenko headed over at the other end from a Ukraine corner.
Gordon had two good saves early in the second half,
from Mudryk and Danylo Ihnatenko.
knocking a shot over the bar from close range.
In the 70th minute, as the rain continued to drizzle,
