Lewis Ferguson looked pained and upset. Andy Robertson rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. Lyndon Dykes appeared, for a second, as if he was going to throw up. These were the images of a Scotland side that had just fallen to a 1-0 defeat against Morocco at the Boston Stadium – a loss that felt more like a gut punch despite a furious late rally.
In the closing stages, Steve Clarke transformed from the cautious manager he has been criticised as into something else entirely. He sent on Ben Doak, Lyndon Dykes and Ross Stewart, and by the end Scott McTominay was virtually playing centre-forward. Scotland left themselves hugely exposed but the attitude was to hell with it. McTominay hit the side-netting, Dykes headed over, McTominay had a shot smothered. They pushed and pushed, forcing Morocco centre-back Chadi Riad to scream at his midfielders after hoofing a clearance for a corner seconds from the end.
“Scotland lose 1-0 to Morocco but show resilience; Kieran Tierney forced off with injury as penalty controversy lingers.”
It was a far cry from the first half, when Morocco threatened to cut Scotland to smithereens. Scotland did not manage a shot on target all game, yet they showed bottle. Clarke, as if playing poker in Vegas, rolled the dice. The denouement was not what anyone expected.
But controversy added to the sting. Scotland had two penalty claims, one for McTominay and another for John McGinn – both described as borderline. Clarke addressed the penalty controversy after the match, with a sense of injustice lingering. The team's mood was darkened further by an injury to Kieran Tierney, who was forced off. Clarke later issued an update on the defender, though details remained scarce.
Despite the defeat, Scotland's World Cup knockout hopes are still alive. Goal difference will be vital in determining the best third-placed teams, and a 1-0 loss was no great letdown in that context – though it would not have felt that way to the players. Morocco, by contrast, were relieved men, overjoyed at falling over the line. For Scotland, the frustration was raw, but the fight in Boston suggested a side that refuses to go quietly.