Scotland 1-3 England: Below-par Scots subdued
Scorers: Scotland - Robertson (83); England - Oxlade-Chamberlain (32), Rooney (47, 85)No repeat of heroics against Ireland as Auld Enemy reign
England emerged with a convincing and fully merited victory, secured by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s opener and a double from captain Wayne Rooney. His brace came either side of Andrew Robertson’s late retort for Scotland but this was a night when Gordon Strachan’s men rarely laid a glove on their visitors in an attacking sense.
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Hide AdIt is not a result which should fatally puncture the feelgood factor Strachan has engineered for the national team over the past 18 months. But as irrelevant as this challenge match was to his primary objective of Euro 2016 qualification, any defeat at the hands of the oldest enemy of them all carries an unavoidable and painful sense of dismay for the Scots.
With so many of Strachan’s key men unable to find top gear, they were comprehensively outplayed for lengthy spells by Roy Hodgson’s men who continue to rehabilitate themselves successfully after their World Cup finals flop in Brazil. Hodgson’s decision to make six changes to his starting line-up from their weekend Euro 2016 qualifying win over Slovenia may have been interpreted by some as an indication the England manager was perhaps not investing this contest with quite as much meaning as Strachan.
But the visitors could not be accused of lacking appetite or urgency at any stage of the evening and they were the first to threaten. Luke Shaw provided an attacking thrust from left back which immediately looked to be a source of concern for the Scots. He forced the first corner of the night which Stewart Downing floated onto the head of Gary Cahill. His firm header, mercifully for the home side, cleared David Marshall’s crossbar. Retaining his place in goal despite expectations Craig Gordon would start the match, Marshall was called into serious action for the first time in the fifth minute.
It was a less than comfortable moment for the Cardiff City man who was unable to hold a Danny Welbeck shot after a mistake from Steven Whittaker had allowed the striker to break free in tandem with Rooney. The Scottish defence were able to scramble to ball to safety before Downing was able to pounce on the loose ball.
Scotland gradually claimed a foothold on proceedings, producing some precise and thoughtful passing football at times, but their work perhaps understandably lacked the ferocious intensity which had characterised last Friday night’s battle with the Irish.
They had the opportunity to try and come up with another telling corner kick routine in the 12th minute which duly saw Shaun Maloney and Ikechi Anya work the ball short, as they had in the move which led to the memorable winner four nights beforehand.
This time, however, they shuttled it out to Whittaker on the edge of the penalty area and his powerful shot was blocked by Oxlade-Chamberlain. There was another opportunity from distance for Whittaker when Charlie Mulgrew played a short free-kick into his path and his effort was deflected for a corner.
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Maloney took it from the right and found Grant Hanley whose volley was blocked by Cahill, prompting wildly optimistic claims for a penalty among the home support. It was a spell of fleeting encouragement for Scotland which continued with a fine move involving Maloney, Scott Brown and Steven Naismith. The ball was worked out to overlapping left-back Robertson whose inviting cross into the penalty area had no takers.
It was England, however, who generally looked more assured and effective in possession. They pierced both the atmosphere and the home defence with the simple but deadly manner in which they fashioned their 32nd minute breakthrough.
Jack Wilshere, an intelligent and probing presence at the hub of England’s midfield, displayed all of his nous and vision to float in a cross which picked out his Arsenal team-mate Oxlade-Chamberlain’s perfectly-timed run in behind a flat-footed Scotland defence. The deftly flicked header from close range left Marshall helpless as it beat him beyond his left hand.
It was a torrid and deeply unrewarding first international starting appearance for Chris Martin as the Derby County striker, replacing the injured Steven Fletcher in the only change to Strachan’s line-up from Friday night, laboured unsuccessfully to make any impact against the robust English defence.
It was little surprise when he did not re-appear for the second half, replaced by James Morrison. Brown was also replaced, both in central midfield and as captain by Darren Fletcher, while Gordon took over from Marshall in goal.
But Gordon’s return to international football after a four-year absence saw him retrieving the ball from his net inside just two minutes of action. Mulgrew was forced to adopt cynical measures to halt a flying raid down the right by Oxlade-Chamberlain, earning a booking for his trouble.
James Milner took the resulting free-kick, his delivery causing real uncertainty in the home defence. Shaw saw a shot blocked but Scotland were unable to clear the danger as the ball ricocheted off Robertson into the path of Rooney who planted a firm close-range header beyond Gordon.
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Hide AdAt the other end of the pitch, Gordon’s predecessor as Celtic goalkeeper was enjoying a largely restful return to the stadium. Fraser Forster was finally called into action in the 51st minute when he touched Russell Martin’s header over.
But it was an increasingly sporadic moment of menace from Scotland at that stage. England, playing with freedom and confidence, should have stretched their lead further when Chris Smalling wastefully headed Adam Lallana’s corner wide from close range.
Hopes of an improbable late comeback from the Scots were sparked by Robertson’s first goal for his country seven minutes from time when he linked cleverly with substitute Johnny Russell down the left and beat Forster with a firm shot low to the ’keeper’s right.
But the renewed vigour among the home players and supporters lasted just two minutes, the time it took for England to restore their two-goal advantage as Rooney seized on Lallana’s cutback and drove his second of the night beyond Gordon.
SCOTLAND (4-2-3-1): Marshall (Gordon 46), Whittaker, R.Martin, Hanley (May 66), Robertson; Brown (D.Fletcher 46), Mulgrew; Maloney (Russell 81), Naismith, Anya (Bannan 61); C.Martin (Morrison 46). Subs not used: Gilks, Bryson, Berra, Dorrans, Greer, Burke, Macleod, Forsyth, Paterson.
ENGLAND (4-2-3-1): Forster, Clyne, Cahill (Jagielka 46), Smalling, Shaw (Gibbs 66); Wilshere (Barkley 87), Milner; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Lambert 80), Rooney, Downing (Lallana 46); Welbeck (Sterling 66). Subs not used: Foster, Chambers, Henderson, Walcott, Berahino.
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