Lone hitman’s striking show means Levein is unlikely to turn Scots into two-pronged groove machine

PERHAPS those who give Craig Levein such a hard time for being so stubborn about playing just one up front should reserve their ire for Kenny Miller. It is the Scotland striker who means it is hard for the manager to change his ways, even should he wish to.

What occurred last night in Larnaca will hardly make Levein want to alter plans which have been in place since his epiphany against Liechtenstein, more than a year ago. That was the night he made it clear that two strikers will never do. Not against Liechtenstein, then ranked 141 in the world. Not against Cyprus, even when 2-0 up. The Cypriots’ goal, shortly after Jamie Mackie had put Scotland two ahead, meant that any hope Levein might do the equivalent of loosening his tie a little by throwing a second attacker on for a decent portion of the game was extinguished.

To be fair, the manager did only say he was contemplating fielding two strikers at some point of the match. He gave it a four-minute whirl at the end. Indeed, it might even have been a case of three up front as Craig Conway joined fellow substitutes Craig Mackail-Smith and Jordan Rhodes in an advanced position.

Levein might, just might, have been considering a more significant flirtation with that quaint notion of a two-pronged attack. But then Dimitris Christofi had to go and ruin things by bringing his side back into it with a goal just before the hour mark. The idea died as soon as Cyprus signalled that an equaliser might be possible. The need to avoid conceding that out-did any inclination on Levein’s part to be a bit cavalier.

When Mackail-Smith came on it was to replace Miller rather than to partner him, as had been suggested on the eve of the match. Rhodes, who is scoring for fun in League One with Huddersfield Town, was given four minutes at the end and nearly scored with a decent long-range effort.

There wasn’t much wrong with Scotland’s performance when both Rhodes and Mackail-Smith were on the park. They nearly scored and kept Cyprus out at the other end. But it probably won’t be enough to turn Scotland into a two-striker groove machine ahead of the start of the World Cup qualifiers next year.

Miller plays the one-striker role well. Too well, perhaps. Too well, at least, for those who grumble and wish that Scotland could show a bit more ambition. Levein won’t be for turning, however. And in Miller he has a more than reasonable case for such intransigence.

The player showed once more his aptitude for busting a gut up front by himself, collecting goal No 16 of his Scotland career with a finish of stunning accuracy. Miller is sometimes chided for his wastefulness when presented with clear opportunities. However, he does have a terrific ability to score goals from nothing. Last night’s resembled his long-range effort for Derby County against Newcastle United during their mostly traumatic stay in the Premier League a few seasons ago. Indeed, it probably bettered it since Miller was required to take a touch before angling a shot from the edge of the box into the top corner.

Miller is not always celebrated for his touch, but on this occasion it was exquisite. As was the finish.

Levein believes that Miller, who turns 32 next month, has another qualifying campaign left in him, and he did little to disabuse anyone of this notion last night. This is good news for those Scotland fans who agree that Miller is still the first-choice striker and someone who comes into his own when asked to lead the attack alone. But it is bad news for someone like Mackail-Smith, who might have hoped to replace him ahead of the next campaign. If not that, then join him in attack. Neither proposal looks likely now as Scotland managed to achieve what Levein said was the first objective – to win.

Mackie, who scored an equally fine second goal, might also be considered as a possible partner for Miller. But he was played in a wider position last night and emerged as one of Scotland’s brightest performers. Levein used him in this role on that infamous night against Czech Republic in Prague and seems happier to have him cutting in from the flank. This worked well in the 56th minute last night as he summoned the spirit of both Ted McMinn and Archie Gemmill when flummoxing a couple of defenders and steering a shot into the far corner of the net.

Scotland, being Scotland, enjoyed the comfort of a two-goal lead for only four minutes, which meant Levein was handed the excuse he needed to keep things as he prefers until a brief glimpse of something other than 4-1-4-1 at the end provided the travelling fans with an ‘I was there’ moment.