World Cup qualifying classics: Scotland 3, Czechoslovakia 1, 21 September 1977

Published on 31/08/2012 00:00

SCOTLAND went into this match with revenge on their minds having lost 2-0 to the Czechs in Prague 11 months earlier and they got their reward in some style as Ally MacLeod’s men gave Hampden one of its most famous nights.

As reigning European champions, Czechoslovakia were one of the continent’s powerhouses. Yet this time it was the Scots who held sway as MacLeod took charge of his first qualifying game in front of 85,000 at Hampden. Joe Jordan got the ball rolling in the 18th minute with a thumping header from Willie Johnston’s corner before Asa Hartford doubled the Scots’ advantage 17 minutes later when Czech keeper Pavol Michalik failed to collect a Johnston cross and the loose ball fell to Hartford to sidefoot home. Kenny Dalglish then made it three in the second half, eventually forcing the ball in after a corner by Don Masson.

The Czechs grabbed an 80th minute consolation through Miroslav Gajdusek’s long-range effort, but it was too late to stop MacLeod’s men taking a giant step towards qualification for the 1978 World Cup.