In the closing stages of a thriller in Boston, Steve Clarke was a footballing Amarillo Slim, a fearless gambler throwing on attacking players in pursuit of a point. Scotland lost 1-0 to Morocco, but the denouement was not what anyone expected. Morocco threatened to blow Scotland away early on, but the Scots showed bottle, pushing and pushing until the final whistle.
Just short of the hour-mark, two doughty Scots walked up the steep steps at the Boston Stadium, can in hand, traffic cone hat on their head, outliers in a support that had been silenced by Ismael Saibari’s first-half rocket. At full-time, Morocco looked overjoyed at falling over the line. Scotland’s players looked pained: Lewis Ferguson pained and upset, Andy Robertson rubbing his hands over his face, Lyndon Dykes looking as if he was going to throw up.
“Scotland lose 1-0 to Morocco but show resilience; Tierney injured; Clarke responds to penalty claims.”
Scotland had two penalty claims — one for Scott McTominay, another for John McGinn. Borderline, both. Steve Clarke later responded to the penalty controversy, but a sense of injustice, justified or not, would only have darkened their mood. Clarke also issued an injury update on Kieran Tierney, who was forced off during the match.
Despite the defeat, Scotland’s World Cup knockout hopes remain alive. Goal difference will be vital in determining the best third-placed teams, and a 1-0 loss was no great letdown — not that it felt that way at the time. In the frantic closing minutes, McTominay hit the side-netting, Dykes headed over, McTominay had a shot smothered. Chadi Riad, the Morocco centre-back, hoofed one out for a corner and screamed blue murder at his midfielders. Scotland had left themselves hugely exposed, but the attitude was: to hell with it.