Gordon Strachan’s success as the Scotland manager, in breaking from what had become a dismal normality before his appointment, has been turning promise into tangible reward. That much was the case again on a tense and fraught evening as they secured a crucial win over the Republic of Ireland courtesy of Shaun Maloney’s fine second-half goal.
There was no happy return to Glasgow for Martin O’Neill. Instead, Strachan’s bid to take Scotland to their first major finals since 1998 received a tremendous boost. The result really was all that mattered here, as typified by the level of exuberance shown by Scotland’s players, coaching staff and supporters at full time.
O’Neill’s gameplan was clear from the naming of his team. Robbie Keane was left among the visiting substitutes, with the decision to deploy Jon Walters in support of Shane Long a nod to Ireland’s direct approach. It possibly suggested a lack of confidence from the manager in the ball retention qualities of his midfield players; an area that had been weakened by the enforced absence of James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan.
Strachan’s personnel issue was a belated one, with James Morrison struck down by illness in the hours leading up to kick-off. The Scots maintained their 4-2-3-1 system which has been largely successful under Strachan.
The pantomime villain here was Aiden McGeady. The Glasgow-born player’s decision to represent Ireland has long been a bone of contention and especially so on an occasion such as this. Those who point to sinister reasoning behind the booing of McGeady might want to consider his treatment had he instead chosen to play for England.
McGeady found his way into the referee’s book after 15 minutes for upending Steven Fletcher. A fine Scotland opportunity had been wasted by Fletcher before then, the striker heading over from Maloney’s corner.
Not that Ireland, who were backed by a terrific support which stretched way beyond an official allocation, were lacking in attacking intent. The physicality of Long and Walters caused problems for the Scotland central defence, just as O’Neill would have intended. The first half was competitive, to the point of being ugly. There were mitigating circumstances behind that, of course, with those who enjoy the blood and thunder of derby games no doubt enjoying what they saw. The lack of artistic merit owed plenty to the anonymity of McGeady, the game’s most creative talent, after his early brush with officialdom.
Ireland began the second half with renewed intent. After a corner was only partially cleared, Long headed straight into the hands of David Marshall from close range. Strachan had seen quite enough; he replaced Fletcher, who has scored only once in 18 international outings, with Chris Martin. Fletcher’s attitude and work rate cannot be questioned; his lack of goal threat can.
The visitors again came close, though, as McGeady’s low drive was turned behind by Marshall. McGeady’s sudden prominence was no coincidence with Ireland’s improvement. With an hour gone, Scotland were visibly struggling for inspiration.
It almost arrived with 65 minutes on the clock. A smart one-two between Steven Naismith and Steven Whittaker preceded a pass from the Everton man into the feet of Martin. The substitute turned the ball wide from six yards, wasting what had been the finest chance of the match.
O’Neill’s decision at this juncture was whether to accept the point which would suit Ireland perfectly well or seize further upon Scotland’s struggles by encouraging his team to press for a winner that would send them joint top of the group. The removal of Long suggested the former was in the mind of the man who enjoyed successful years here as the Celtic manager.
O’Neill’s assistant, Roy Keane, earned a lecture from the referee, Milorad Mazic, 20 minutes from time, after protesting a little too wildly about a free-kick decision. Keane had cut an agitated figure all evening, albeit generally towards the Irish players rather than the Serbian officials.
Keane soon had more reason to be irate. Maloney, one of few players on the pitch to display class, collected the ball from a short corner routine and curled a wonderful shot past David Forde. It was a strike of genuine quality; Scotland cared not one jot that it wasn’t in keeping with what had come before.
Robbie Keane was unsurprisingly introduced as O’Neill sought the kind of late salvation that Ireland have retrieved as habit thus far in Group D. This time, it didn’t arrive; Scotland’s faith in Strachan’s revitalisation of their international fortunes is well founded.
