Scotland 2 Macedonia 0:THE PRESENCE of the Netherlands and play-offs in the same sentence still chills Scottish blood six years on from a 6-0 annihilation in Amsterdam that ended their interest in Euro 2004.

That they can be legitimately mentioned in the same breath again, when it seemed even George Burley’s employers were at Hampden Park on Saturday to pay their last respects, now represents a lifeline to the besieged Scotland manager.

“Seeing those fans lifted has made it all worthwhile for me,” said Burley, as he reflected in ending another torturous week in the job with the most important victory of his international reign. “Now we have to do it all again.”

Given it is the unbeaten Dutch who stand between Scotland and a possible place in the World Cup play-offs, the task confronting Burley could not be more onerous.

The defeat of Macedonia did little to inflate expectations for his team, who laboured badly until Scott Brown’s header transformed a subdued Scotland and Hampden crowd, and will be without the suspended James McFadden on Wednesday. But at least now there is hope where previously there appeared none.

Luck, the absence of which is often a convenient excuse but a valid argument during Burley’s tenure, was certainly on Scotland’s side. In Craig Gordon the Scots boasted the game’s outstanding player and three excellent low saves from the Sunderland goalkeeper were a reflection of talent, not fate.

But they were also indebted to a glaring miss from Slavcho Georgievski, while even the mistaken identity that cost McFadden a chance to revive memories of the 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the first leg of the Euro 2004 play-off paid dividends.

McFadden was cautioned for Brown’s unsporting behaviour when the latter won a corner from a bounce ball that Macedonia wanted to concede to Scotland. Cue pandemonium and a loss of focus from the visitors, not that they were in any position to bemoan unsporting actions given their histrionics.

Indeed, the bounce ball was awarded after the Macedonia striker, Ilcho Naumoski, reacted to a ball in the face as though felled by a seizure. Had the referee, Wolfgang Stark, booked Brown and not McFadden, however, it would have been the Celtic midfielder’s second booking in two minutes.

“They were more riled than us. It was them who were causing the arguments,” insisted the Scotland captain, Darren Fletcher.

“They were the team that was angry, it was important for us to keep our calm. We couldn’t afford to go down to 10 men and we kept saying that to each other.”

Eleven minutes into the second half, Brown headed his first Scotland goal into the far corner of Jane Nikoloski’s goal and his team-mates were transformed.

Alan Hutton, Brown and McFadden suddenly rediscovered the hunger for the ball and the responsibility that has been lacking in this campaign to inspire Scotland’s recovery.

McFadden, collecting the ball inside his own half, swept past Veliche Shumulikoski with 10 minutes remaining, ignored two inviting passes to nutmeg the Macedonia captain, Goce Sedloski, then rounded the keeper for a glorious second. One of those rarities for supporters, a goal they can start to celebrate before the ball is in the net.

Burley ran from the touchline to the dug-out without his feet appearing to touch the ground. He deserved the release.

“The last week did not distract me at all,” insisted the Scotland manager. “I’ve been a manager a long time and I know I’ll get criticism but I’ve nothing to prove. I got the job because I’ve done it and a lot of people don’t realise that and don’t give me respect.

“I can’t stop that, but it was an honour for me to get the Scotland job and I am totally committed.”

Guardian Service