“Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve in football, and sometimes you get a little bit more than you deserve.”
Steve Clarke accepts it was far from a vintage performance from Scotland. Outclassed by Greece for the first hour, but somehow it ended in a 3-1 win as World Cup qualification remains within reach.
Greece dominated while the hosts struggled. There was a nervous quiet around Hampden Park as the tension increased with every chance the Greeks wasted.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke heaped praise on his battling players after they came from behind to beat Greece 3-1 in World Cup qualifying.
Clarke was looking to use the pace of Ben Gannon-Doak down the left, but it came with no end product, and it was no surprise when the visitors took the lead.
Many probably accepted a Scotland defeat at that point, but the players had other ideas. Ryan Christie slammed the ball into the net for the equaliser before Lewis Ferguson scored his first international goal to put Scotland ahead.
The nerves turned to disbelief, then pure joy when Lyndon Dykes fired into an empty net to seal the win moments after Angus Gunn produced a brilliant save to end Greek hopes.
“The last time Greece came here, they were slick in the first half and went in 2-0 up. This time they were slicker than us again, but it was 0-0,” Clarke added.
“We didn’t give a goal way in the first 10 seconds of the second half so that helps. It took them longer to get themselves in front.
Sky Sports’ Gordon Duncan reviewed Scotland’s crucial 3-1 win over Greece in their World Cup qualifier.
“Football is a 96 or 97-minute game now. You have to work your way into it and control the game in your bad moments. That’s what we did.
“In the bad moments we worked ever so hard to keep the game level or tight – then we managed to get the goals that got us the win.”
Can the Tartan Army dare to dream?
Scotland last reached a World Cup in 1998
“They can do what they want, they normally do,” quipped Clarke when asked if the Scotland fans should already be thinking about next summer’s World Cup finals.
If Scotland beat Belarus on Sunday and Greece lose to Denmark in Copenhagen, a play-off place would be guaranteed.
Denmark would be level with Scotland on 10 points but ahead on goal difference, leaving the two to battle it out for top spot in the final qualifier in Glasgow next month.
But if the Greeks draw or win, they would remain in contention while allowing the Scots to move above the Danes into top spot in the section.
The 27-year wait to feature at football’s biggest tournament could be about to end, but for the head coach it is all about Belarus on Sunday.
Scotland’s Lewis Ferguson celebrates his first international goal
“There’s no point in doing what we’ve done so far if we’re underestimating the Belarusians when we come here,” he said of Group C’s bottom side.
“We have to make sure that we get a few points on Sunday. You can’t underestimate Belarus, you’ve got to be respectful to all your opponents.”
Scotland’s World Cup qualifiers
- Belarus (H) – October 12
- Greece (A) – November 15
- Denmark (H) – November 18
This news was originally published on this post .
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