Scotland cannot afford to waste surprise World Cup second chance after bonkers night

Roll over Homer, try this for an epic story. Roll on Tuesday night, which is now a meaningful, make that ginormous, match again when for so long during this crazy football match it looked like being an obligation that would have to be endured.

However wild this match might have been, it was outdone by events in Copenhagen. One moment Scotland fans were unfastening banners from the fences and starting to make their way out towards Athens tavernas, the next they were hailing the Scottish players as they came back from 3-0 down to 3-2 thanks to goals from Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie and urging them to get an equaliser.

Of course, the news from Denmark, where Belarus had taken a frankly unfathomable lead and then held on for a draw, meant that gaining the point that everyone had assumed was a requirement didn’t even matter any longer. The Scotland players all mingled around the centre circle having had to settle for a defeat waiting for the final whistle 1300 miles away.

Scotland are 90 minutes away from a World Cup. Bravo to Belarus and their laconic manager Carlos Alos, of course, but there’s still work to be done. Scotland can ill-afford to play as badly as they did at times here against the Danes. They cannot afford to waste this second chance to gain automatic qualification.

Greece, to so-called coming team of Europe, won’t be going to the World Cup but as feared, they made life very difficult for Scotland on what was nearly a very chastening night in Piraeus. They have evened up the four-game series between the teams this year. Two wins for Scotland, two for Greece. Of the two defeats suffered by Steve Clarke’s side, this was the one that everyone thought was really going to sting. Football though. Bloody hell!

Ivan Jovanovic has been adamant that his Greece side are the better team. He’s maybe right. Not that it matters. Scotland just have to be better than Denmark this Tuesday on a night of night at Hampden. How are the Danes feeling?

It was the worst possible start on a pitch that had seemed prepared to order. The grass was longer than is usually the case and looked well-watered in places while not in others. It might have been a factor in the opening goal, which came after John Souttar misjudged a bounce just seven minutes in. Tasos Bakasetas thumped in after Craig Gordon saved Vangelis Pavlidis’ shot. Both Greeks didn’t see the game out. Bakesetas due to a late red card, after he picked up a second booking for a late tackle on Lewis Ferguson, and Pavlidis due to injury.

Make no mistake, whether or not the pitch was tricky, it was the same for both sides. Otherwise, there were very favourable conditions for Scotland. Normally an away game in Greece is a challenging prospect and that’s before you even step on the park. The home of Olympiacos in particular can be a partisan bearpit.

Hosts threatened a huge win

Not here, not on this night, with wide open spaces in the stands reflecting the fact that Greece can no longer qualify. As well as the 2,500 away fans crammed in the corner, enterprising Scotland fans were dotted around the stadium, the eager purchasers of unwanted tickets. They had to endure the glee of those around them as the hosts threatened to sweep Scotland away.

Souttar watched the ball bounce over his head and before anyone knew it, Pavlidis had gathered and was taking aim. The veteran ‘keeper made a superb stop but when the ball rebounded Bakasetas beat the dithering Grant Hanley and rifled a shot in with his left foot.

It was the start of a frantic period where Greece could have scored once, twice maybe three times more. Scotland barely made it up the park. One sortie, after Christie released Gannon-Doak, fizzled out. Gannon-Doak, a slightly surprising starter, was doing most of his good work in defence.

Greek swarmed around Gordon at the other end. Tzolis especially was tormenting the Scotland backline, forcing the keeper into at least two very good stops.

Scotland? “I’d walk a million miles for one of your goals,” sung rather sombrely by the away fans, said it all. That was until towards the end of the first half, which was extended by four minutes due to an injury to Pavlidis, one of several Greek danger men. He had to go off, which was a boon for Scotland. The extra minutes were almost profitable too. McTominay, hitherto anonymous, thumped a shot off the bar from 20 yards. Adams headed into the side-netting from a tight angle and then perhaps the best chance of all, came the way of the 20-year-old Gannon-Doak, who was put through by McTominay. Required only to beat Odysseas Vlachodimos, he hit the keeper’s chest.

The second half? How long have you got? Four goals, two for Scotland though neither of them cheered as loudly as the ones in Copenhagen that drew Belarus level with Denmark and then put them in front. Greek wunderkind Konstantinos Karetsas had Greece two ahead with a precise shot inside Gordon’s right post after a powerful run down the left from substitute Andreas Tetteh.

Tzolis, the game’s star player, thumped a third from distance through Gordon’s hands. Two goals in six minutes. Gannon-Doak reduced the deficit with a shot into the roof of the net from close in from Christie’s cross and then Christie got on the end of Robertson’s centre. McTominy was denied an equaliser by a fine save from Vlachodimos. Scotland have never come back from three goals down. It doesn’t matter. They still have a chance to make some history next week.