Scotland sink Greece to boost bid to reach World Cup

Scotland stepped up their bid to suffice for the World Cup arsenic Lewis Ferguson’s archetypal planetary extremity paved the way for a vital 3-1 win against Greece successful Glasgow connected Thursday.

Steve Clarke’s broadside trailed to Kostas Tsimikas’s 62nd-minute extremity astatine Hampden Park.

But Ryan Christie levelled within two minutes and Ferguson marked his 19th headdress with his maiden extremity 10 minutes from full-time.

Substitute Lyndon Dykes capped the comeback successful stoppage-time arsenic second-placed Scotland stayed level connected points with Group C leaders Denmark and moved 4 points up of Greece.

Chasing a archetypal World Cup quality since 1998, Scotland big Belarus successful their adjacent crippled connected Sunday.

“When they scored the goal, the shackles came disconnected a spot and from there we finished the crippled strong,” Clarke said.

“Football is simply a 90-minute crippled and you person to marque sure you travel retired of it with a affirmative result. 3-1 possibly flatters us, but we did capable to win the game.

“It gives us three points and takes us 1 step person to what we want to do.”

Greece won 3-0 astatine Hampden successful March successful the Nations League play-offs and they made a assured start connected their instrumentality to Glasgow.

Vangelis Pavlidis should person enactment the visitors up aft a flowing determination successful the aboriginal stages, but his decorativeness was off-target.

Scotland looked disjointed successful possession, often hitting it up to the isolated Che Adams arsenic Greece pressed.

Pavlidis and Giorgos Masouras drilled implicit arsenic Greece searched for a breakthrough that yet arrived aft different slick move.

Grant Hanley made a artifact but the shot fell for Roma left-back Tsimikas to drill home.

Scotland responded instantly arsenic Anthony Ralston’s precocious shot into the country was won by Hanley earlier Bournemouth midfielder Christie ran successful to occurrence home.

There was a lengthy VAR cheque but Hanley was conscionable onside earlier providing the assist.

Scotland had a immense let-off when substitute Giannis Konstantelias headed wide.

But Clarke’s men were connected top present and Adams’s changeable deflected wide from Billy Gilmour’s free-kick.

Scotland went successful beforehand with 10 minutes near when Andy Robertson’s agelong free-kick caused chaos successful the Greece defence.

John Souttar’s effort was blocked but Ferguson was connected manus to lash into the extortion of the nett from adjacent range.

Angus Gunn produced a stunning stop to touch a curling effort from Konstantinos Karetsas implicit the bar.

And Scotland made the astir of that flight to wrap up the points successful the last seconds.

Greece goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis palmed the shot into the way of Dykes arsenic helium tried to forestall a headed passback going retired for a country and the Birmingham striker gratefully slotted into the bare net.

Source: AFP