Scotland 2-1 Cyprus: Euro 2020 qualifier – as it happened

Oliver Burke won it late for the Scots, just when it seemed the hosts had thrown it all away.

10.16pm BST

Ewan Murray was our man at Hampden to witness Scotland squeak past Cyprus. His report has landed, and here it is. Meanwhile thanks for reading this MBM. Anon!

Related: Andy Robertson and Oliver Burke strike to haul Scotland over Cyprus hill

10.02pm BST

The new boss Steve Clarke talks to Sky Sports, the metaphorical eyebrow raised. “It was interesting. A little bit different! I thought we did OK, we were comfortable at 1-0, but we switched off at a set play and that’s something you shouldn’t do at this level. But I thought the resilience and the character of the players to bounce back - because it would have been easy to feel sorry for yourself, but they didn’t - was a good sign. When you get such a late blow - and it wasn’t even a good header, it was poor marking, we’ll have a look at the video - they way they bounced back gives us good hope for the future. I’ve only been working with the group for seven training sessions, so it’s not going to change overnight. But I’ve given the lads a real amount of information. There are a lot of things to be pleased about, a lot of things to work on. We couldn’t afford to lose. We go to Belgium, everyone expects them to win, but it’s football, anything can happen.”

And did you enjoy the game tonight? “No chance!”

9.54pm BST

A very happy match-winner Oli Burke speaks! “It’s an amazing feeling to get my first Scotland goal. Credit to the boys, who were fantastic today. I’m really happy, and really happy for the team. Coming into a game like that, it’s made for me to make an impact, and conceding so late drove us a little bit more, pushed us for that next goal. And I think we deserved it.”

9.50pm BST

Elsewhere, it was a 3-0 win for Belgium against Kazakhstan. Throw in Russia’s earlier 9-0 rout of San Marino, and the table, with all teams having played three times, reads:

1. Belgium 9pts
2. Russia 6pts
3. Scotland 6pts
4. Cyprus 3pts
5. Kazakhstan 3pts
6. San Marino 0pts

9.40pm BST

Well that was exciting. Perhaps more exciting than Steve Clarke would have preferred, but it’s three points to the Scots. They were pushed all the way by Cyprus.

9.39pm BST

90 min +5: Efrem’s free kick flies into the top right ... of the stand behind the goal. That’s a dismal effort, and surely Scotland are home and hosed now.

9.38pm BST

90 min +4: It’s very shapeless. Suddenly Costi barges down the middle of the park and buys a cheap free kick off McLean, who really didn’t need to make a challenge. That’s a free kick, 30 yards out, just left of centre! A chance for Cyprus to salvage a point!

9.36pm BST

90 min +2: Scotland draw a couple of fouls from Cyprus and the clock ticks on in their favour.

9.34pm BST

90 min: Then another corner for Cyprus, which is just about dealt with by the Scots this time. There will be five added minutes of this gloriously messy nonsense!

9.34pm BST

What a response by Scotland! Fraser dribbles down the left and hooks a fine cross into the centre. Burke gets up above Nicholas Ioannou and sends a downward header past Pardo ... but crashing off the inside of the right-hand post. But the ball rolls into the centre, where Burke converts into the empty net with glee! Hampden roars again!

9.32pm BST

The corner’s hit long. Kousoulos, eight yards out and level with the far post, doesn’t have to jump off the ground to meet it with a header, and plants one into the right-hand side of the goal. None of the Scottish defenders covered themselves in glory there, to say the least. Penny for the thoughts of Steve Clarke, an assured defender himself.

9.30pm BST

86 min: McGregor’s corner is plucked from the heavens by Pardo, who launches long for Georgiou. The sub forces the backtracking Robertson into the concession of a corner. From which ...

9.29pm BST

85 min: Fraser makes up some ground on the left, then looks for the top right. No Robertson he, though it’s a decent enough curler that forces Pardo into tipping round the post for a corner.

9.28pm BST

84 min: Scotland take the sting out of proceedings by taking an age over a throw in the professional style. Hampden is nervous.

9.27pm BST

82 min: Hampden holds its breath as Margaca fires a deep cross in from the left. Kousoulos, coming in from the right, looks to have a clear header, ten yards out, but is blocked by his own man in Sotiriou. Artymatas tries to smash the rebound home from distance, but Marshall gathers. Sleepy Scotland were so close to giving it all away there.

9.25pm BST

80 min: McGinn is replaced by McTominay. Then Makris makes way for Pittas.

9.24pm BST

78 min: Fraser, out on the left, slips a pass down the inside-left channel for the underlapping O’Donnell, who draws Pardo and chips for goal. The ball bounces inches wide of the right-hand post. That would have been a picture-book goal.

9.22pm BST

77 min: But Scotland’s lead is a slender one. Hampden are reminded of this when Makris has a dig from 25 yards. The ball pings off McKenna and nearly loops over Marshall, but the keeper tips over spectacularly. The resulting corner leads to nothing. But Cyprus were so close to a very fortunate equaliser there.

9.20pm BST

76 min: A gorgeous bit of skill by Fraser, tight to the chalk out on the left. With little space to play with, or margin for error, he chips the ball down the line past Kousoulos and skedaddles towards the box. At which point he rather runs out of ideas, but that’s a fine run nonetheless.

9.19pm BST

75 min: Artymatas is booked for excessively bothering McGregor. A free kick midway in Cypriot territory. Scotland rather conservatively play it backwards, professionalism rather than entertainment the watchword. See, this is where Uefa Multiball would come into its own.

9.17pm BST

74 min: Burke comes on for the luckless Brophy, who hasn’t really had much chance to shine on his debut.

9.17pm BST

72 min: Cyprus stroke the ball around in midfield for a while, the rhythm of the game having been disrupted by Spoljaric’s injury. For a while, there are two balls on the pitch. The referee doesn’t stop the game, perhaps under instruction from Uefa to trial a new multiball system. And you thought VAR was needless tinkering.

9.14pm BST

70 min: Spoljaric has tweaked something, so he’s replaced by Costi.

9.13pm BST

68 min: Scottish tails are up now. They’re passing it around with much more confidence. Cyprus by contrast are sitting back, hoping to weather the storm. What a difference a goal makes, is a cliche for a reason.

9.10pm BST

66 min: The resulting corner ... you know how this goes by now. Once Cyprus clear their lines, they swap Michalis Ioannou for Georgiou.

9.09pm BST

65 min: McGregor, to the right of the D, has a shot towards the bottom right. Pardo parries. He should gather, but spills the ball round the post. It was inches away from squirting into the net. The keeper got away with one there.

9.08pm BST

64 min: McGinn sends a pass wide to Fraser, who is dribbling again with more purpose and intent, just as he did during the early stages of this match. He can’t quite break through on the edge of the area, but Cyprus were worried for a minute there.

9.07pm BST

62 min: And there’s the Hampden Roar at last! The goal deserved nothing less. Robertson is a special player, and he’s being serenaded by the crowd accordingly.

9.06pm BST

What a goal! McGinn, in a central position, slips the ball left to Robertson, who is racing towards it with extreme intent. He meets it first time, flush, sending a diagonal rising heat-seeker into the top right, Pardo with no chance whatsoever! A captain’s goal from a European champion. What a week he’s had!

9.04pm BST

60 min: Sotiriou bustles down the left and wins a corner off O’Donnell. Another wasted set-piece will be along in a minute. And there it is. Scotland clear.

9.03pm BST

59 min: McGregor passes the ball into touch while standing one yard from the white line, under no pressure whatsoever. A few addled Scottish heads right now as they hectically search for the breakthrough.

9.01pm BST

57 min: Robertson’s cross from the left is swallowed hole by Pardo. Nobody in there challenging. On the touchline, Steve Clarke shows his first signs of concern.

9.00pm BST

56 min: Fraser runs at the Cypriot back line, but loses confidence as he approaches the final third. The hosts need to up their game, quick-smart.

8.59pm BST

54 min: And now a few whistles thrown in as Efrem earns a corner down the left. The set piece is claimed by Marshall. Scotland’s surge since the restart didn’t last long.

8.57pm BST

52 min: Artymatas strides from the back like Beckenbauer, nobody bothering to close him down. He picks out Spoljaric upfield. Spoljaric races through a big gap between Mulgrew and McKenna, and sends a shot towards the bottom right. Marshall smothers, but the home faithful are getting worried. This second half had begun with a passionate, full-throated chorus of the Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomand. But that Hampden Increasingly Concerned Mutter’s back now.

8.55pm BST

50 min: Sotiriou busies himself on the edge of the Scotland box, then sends a pass right for Makris, who fizzes a low one into the box. Fortunately for Scotland, it’s just behind Sotiriou, and the hosts clear.

8.53pm BST

49 min: A positive run by Forrest down the right leads to a corner, which in turn leads to nothing. Pardo’s still to have his hands seriously warmed by Scotland.

8.52pm BST

48 min: Added energy = good. Rushes of blood = bad. Fraser and Brophy work a little space down the left, the ball breaking back to Robertson, who must still be high on life after events in Madrid last Saturday. He smashes a very ambitious shot from distance miles over the bar.

8.51pm BST

47 min: Roberson hoicks a long one down the left. McGregor gets on the end of it, and sends a huge up-and-under of a cross into the box. It’s easy pickings for Pardo. But it looks as though Scotland have been given the half-time rocket by their new manager, because there’s an early energy about them.

8.48pm BST

We go again! Cyprus get the second half underway; there have been no half-time changes.

8.42pm BST

Half-time entertainment. Scotland’s women take on England tomorrow evening. Ahead of the big one, here’s Louise Taylor’s highly entertaining romp through the history of the women’s game, a tale that takes in outraged 17th-century ministers, the suffragettes, and some World Cup final hat-trick heroics that have nothing whatsoever to do with Geoff Hurst. (Also, the pictures from the 1971 Women’s World Cup in Mexico City are sensational.)

Related: From pink goalposts to blue plaques: a history of women's football

8.35pm BST

Where’s Colin Stein when you need him?

8.33pm BST

45 min: McGregor goes sliding into a 50-50 with Michalis Ioannou. He crumps his studs into his opponent’s knee, and is very fortunate just to see yellow. That was a poor challenge.

8.32pm BST

44 min: McLean launches long down the inside-left channel. He’s very close to finding Fraser free, but there’s one too many joules of energy applied to the ball, and Pardo can come out and gather.

8.31pm BST

43 min: Robertson picks up the pace and barrels down the inside-left channel. He slips a ball wide to Brophy, who enters the box, makes for the byline and crosses well. But the flag goes up for offside. Brophy had gone too early, though only just. Not much in that at all.

8.30pm BST

41 min: And I bet this moment gave Robertson another sort of rush, as Sotiriou strides free down his flank and shoots diagonally, low and hard, towards the bottom left. Marshall does very well to paw the ball away as it threatens to worm its way into the corner. Scotland clear their lines, but that was close.

8.28pm BST

39 min: Robertson sends Fraser into space down the left. He crosses, and claims a penalty when the ball hits the arm of Kousoulos, just inside the box. It didn’t look as though the defender’s arm was in an unnatural position, though I’d pay a penny or two for the thoughts of Tottenham Hotspur’s Moussa Sissoko. I bet that passage of play gave Andrew Robertson a Proustian rush.

8.25pm BST

38 min: Fraser slips the ball in from the left for McGregor, who tees up Forrest on the edge of the box. Forrest shoots through a thicket, the ball rearing up and falling gently into the arms of Pardo.

8.24pm BST

36 min: Spoljaric heads forward in the hope of setting Efrem free down the middle. All he does is catch his team-mate offside. Small acorns, and all that, but at least the early attacking threat of Cyprus has been somewhat blunted in the last 20 minutes or so.

8.22pm BST

34 min: The corner’s half cleared. McGinn, deep on the right, loops into the mixer. Pardo, yet to be forced into meaningful action, rises to pluck the ball from the sky.

8.21pm BST

33 min: A not particularly good cross by Forrest from the right. But Nicholas Ioannou doesn’t realise he’s got space and time, and so heads behind for a corner. It comes in from the left and McKenna rises highest. His header is deflected wide right for Scotland’s fifth corner of the evening.

8.19pm BST

31 min: A one-two between Fraser and McGregor sends the former scuttling away down the left. He crosses deep. Too deep. It’s a free kick. But at least the Hampden Increasingly Concerned Mutter has piped down ... and the pipes are piping up. A nice carnival atmosphere inside Hampden at the moment, despite the scoreline.

8.18pm BST

29 min: Some good work by McGinn, who wriggles clear of a challenge in his own half and strokes a pinpoint long pass to Fraser on the left. Fraser’s in a lot of space, but can’t quite get a shot away, and has to wait for support. Eventually the ball is worked to Forrest on the right; he’s equally ponderous when faced with the chance to shoot. The ball goes back to the left, Robertson injecting some trademark energy and winning a corner, though the set piece isn’t worth writing home about. But this is better from Scotland, who are spending more time in enemy territory now.

8.15pm BST

27 min: Mulgrew takes. And it’s a decent free kick, up over the wall and back down, the ball heading into the bottom right. Pardo does very well to turn the ball behind for a corner. The resulting set-piece is hit long, and the debutant Brophy gets his first meaningful touch of the match, stooping to head a difficult chance just wide. That’ll give the young man a boost after a quiet start to his Scotland career.

8.13pm BST

26 min: Affronted by Laifis and his Beckhamesque stylings - actually more like Pele, come to think about it, seeing he missed - Scotland launch an attack. Forrest slips the ball in from the right to McGinn, who turns and is tugged back by Nicholas Ioannou. That’s a booking for the Cyprus centre-back, and a free kick just to the right of the D.

8.11pm BST

24 min: Laifis tries to score from inside his own half, having spotted Marshall wandering free. It’s safe to say the opening exchanges have filled Cyprus with confidence.

8.09pm BST

22 min: More of that Cypriot possession. After stroking it around for an age, Makris eventually bursts into a little space down the right and very nearly finds Sotiriou in the box with a clever ball down the channel. Not quite. Still no Hampden Roar, but you don’t have to strain your ears to hear the Hampden Increasingly Concerned Mutter.

8.07pm BST

20 min: “Despite the possession stats, we’re not 2-0 down. This is progress.” The tinder-dry Simon McMahon, people.

8.07pm BST

18 min: Scotland are opened up down the middle with great ease, as Sotiriou spins through 360 degrees to fox Mulgrew, and is nearly brought down by McKenna on the edge of the box. The ball breaks to Michalis Ioannou, whose first-time shot is blocked and breaks to Efrem on the right. Efrem shoots straight at Marshall, the only man he has to beat. Scotland extremely fortunate that Sotiriou couldn’t ride the questionable challenge by McKenna, because he was otherwise in.

8.04pm BST

16 min: Fraser is upended just to the left of the Cyprus box by Kousoulos. A free kick in a very dangerous position here. Fraser takes it himself, curling it low into the six-yard box. It’s a dreadful effort, nowhere near a team-mate, and delivered with no force, so there’s no manic pinball. Instead, Laifis traps with a yawn and clears his lines.

8.02pm BST

14 min: Scotland have woken up. Fraser yet again picks up possession on the left, and lays off for McGregor, who takes a stride before whipping a low cross through the box. None of his team-mates were there to take advantage of a ball trundling along the corridor of uncertainty in the style of a Breeders video.

8.01pm BST

13 min: Fraser again works himself some space down the left. He tears into it, then cuts the ball back to nobody in particular. But the ball eventually ends up at the feet of McGregor, who has a dig from distance. It’s blocked by a white shirt ... and not a hand, as McGregor claims, hoping for a free kick in a central position.

7.59pm BST

11 min: But this is nice from Scotland. Robertson curls a pass down the left flank for Fraser, who immediately shuttles the ball inside for McGregor. The brisk, free-flowing move leads to a corner ... which leads to nothing much, but baby steps and all that.

7.57pm BST

9 min: There’s already a little nervousness in the Hampden air, as Cyprus continue to dominate. They’ve had 66 percent of possession so far. And that nearly turns into a much more meaningful stat, as Efrem is found in space just to the right of the Scottish box. He dinks a cross towards Sotiriou at the far post. The striker can’t connect, but that was lovely football by the visitors.

7.55pm BST

7 min: But Cyprus are still enjoying the lion’s share of possession, looking very assured as they ping it around. Makris and Efrem combine well on the right flank, and briefly threaten to open Scotland up, but Robertson and Fraser make sure nothing untoward occurs.

7.53pm BST

5 min: Scotland launch their first sortie upfield. Forrest slips Fraser away down the left, and gets the return on the edge of the box. He opens his body to curl towards the top right, but doesn’t get it quite right, and the rising, fizzing effort flies harmlessly over the bar. That warmed up the crowd, who had previously been a little muted.

7.52pm BST

4 min: This is a confident start by Cyprus. Spoljaric strokes a pass from the centre circle down the right for Makris to chase, and Makris very nearly gets on the end of it. Robertson does very well to get across just in time and shepherd the ball out for a goal kick.

7.50pm BST

2 min: Cyprus stroke it around the back awhile, in order to find their feet. They look relaxed and confident ... until the keeper has a go, and sends a slightly hysterical one upfield that only just evades interception. But that’s some early possession for the visitors.

7.48pm BST

A minute’s silence for erstwhile Uefa kingpin Lennart Johansson, who died this week ... and then the game begins! The hosts get the ball rolling. The ball’s launched long and flies out of play, four seconds on the clock. The only way is up in the Clarke era!

7.45pm BST

The teams are out! No Hampden Roar to meet them, but a smattering of light applause. Then the skirl of the pipes and a quick rendition of Flower of Scotland. The Cypriot number is a jaunty waltz. Scotland are in the beautiful simplicity of their dark-blue kit, while Cyprus wear their second-choice white. Hands are clasped, pennants are exchanged, coins are tossed, and we’ll be off in minute!

7.39pm BST

Scotland’s midfield should have a spring in the collective step, despite a long season finishing in June. All three members enjoyed a fine end to their campaigns, Kenny McLean winning the Championship with Norwich City, John McGinn scoring the winner in the play-off final to secure promotion for Aston Villa, and Callum McGregor securing the Treble Treble, and consigning us all to a David Bowie earworm, with Celtic. Throw in new European champion Andy Robertson, and the Scottish Player of the Year James Forrest, and these lads should be brimming with confidence. Having just typed all that out, I’m not 100 percent sure I should be tempting fate by posting it, Scotland are still piecing their confidence back together in the wake of 1978 after all. But we can’t be living our lives in constant fear, so here goes nothing.

7.26pm BST

The new manager Steve Clarke speaks! “It’s just a normal match day. Good preparation. A team meeting before we left the hotel. Now it’s over to the players. I think it’ll be difficult. Everyone looks at Cyprus and thinks it’s a smaller nation but they have some decent players playing at a good level, and we have to be on our guard. I know we are on our guard, we’re ready for the game, but we have to respect the opposition because they’re decent. I’ve put David Marshall in goal, because he’s got a lot of experience. If you look at the team I’ve picked in comparison to the two teams that played in March, I’ve got close to 100 caps more in the starting XI, which for this game in particular I think is very important. Eamonn Brophy will hopefully bring us goals. We’ve got creative players on the pitch, and if you give Brophy chances he will score. He’ll also bring a good enthusiasm and energy to the centre-forward position, he likes to chase people down. I’m pleased that he’s in the team and I hope that he does very well.”

7.17pm BST

There’s already been one result in Group I today. Russia have drubbed San Marino 9-0 in Mordovia, captain Artem Dzyuba helping himself to four of the goals. That’s put them second in the table, on six points behind leaders Belgium, who will most likely pull ahead this evening after playing Kazakhstan at home. So Scotland, currently with three points, could certainly do with a win to keep themselves on the leaders’ tails.

6.53pm BST

The former Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke hands one of his old charges a Scotland debut tonight. The 23-year-old striker Eamonn Brophy pulls on a dark blue shirt for the first time, having finished the season strongly with winners for Killie against Hibernian and Rangers. David Marshall meanwhile returns in goal, taking over from Scott Bain after a three-year wait for another cap.

6.49pm BST

Scotland: Marshall, O’Donnell, Mulgrew, McKenna, Robertson, McGinn, McLean, McGregor, Forrest, Brophy, Fraser.
Subs: Bain, Palmer, Souttar, Findlay, McTominay, Russell, Armstrong, McNulty, Cairney, Burke, Taylor, McLaughlin.

Cyprus: Pardo, Kousoulos, Nicholas Ioannou, Laifis, Margaca, Spoljaric, Artymatas, Makris, Efrem, Sotiriou, Michalis Ioannou.
Subs: Petrou, Vasiliou, Katelaris, Antoniou, Mitidis, Avraam, Antoniades, Costi, Georgiou, Pittas, Michael.

12.24pm BST

It’s fair to say Scotland haven’t got off to a flyer in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. A risible 3-0 loss in Kazakhstan was followed by an extremely uncertain 2-0 win against San Marino, a team that has avoided defeat once in the last 15 years, and Big Eck was sent on his way. So we’d love to say today’s match against Cyprus - who have won just once in 14 away games, and that against the might of Gibraltar - was a shoo-in. But, well, y’know.

History is very much on Scotland’s side, though. They’ve won all five of their previous matches against the Cypriots, by a healthy aggregate score of 20-4, although that total has been slightly skewed by an 8-0 thumping in 1969. And for all their recent travails, they’ve only lost two of their last 12 competitive games. (It’s friendlies that really stump the Scots, with six defeats in the last seven.) Also, by winning Nations League Group C1, they’ve already secured a safety net should things go badly wrong in Qualification Group I: a shot at reaching the Euro 2020 finals through the play-off route.

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