Scotland Win

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Scotland are getting closer and closer to qualification for Euro 2008 after an excellent 3-1 home win over Ukraine left them needing just four points to qualify.

The Scots made a blistering start to the Hampden Park encounter with Kenny Miller and Lee McCulloch both getting on the scoresheet within the opening ten minutes.

Chelsea man Andriy Shevchenko hit back for Ukraine, but James McFadden was once again the hero for Scotland as he restored the two-goal cushion with a fine strike and sealed the win that ends his sides' Saturday opponents’ hopes of getting to Austria and Switzerland next summer.

Shevchenko had already sent an effort over the bar as the visitors started the game with intent, but three minutes in, Miller was wheeling away to celebrate his goal.

Andriy Nesmachny was booked for his foul on Scott Brown on the right channel and the superb McFadden whipped in a free-kick that was met by the head of Miller, the Derby man getting in ahead of visiting defenders as powered the set-piece to Olexandr Shovkovski’s net.

Seven minutes later, Alex McLeish and his bench were in dreamland as Ukraine were undone by a simple free-kick that saw Barry Ferguson touching the ball to McFadden.

The Everton attacker sent the ball to where McCulloch was drowning in space on the left of the area and, unmarked, he turned and curleded a beautiful second round the despairing goalkeeper and into the net.

Shevchenko was not having a great start to the game as he fluffed a chance after being given acres of space by the Scottish back line and was also booked for a pull on Brown.

Scotland, however, allowed the Ukrainians to come on to the them and were punished as Shevchenko took his next chance.

Andriy Nesmachniy sent in a cross from the left that grazed off the shoulder of Stephen McManus before falling for Shevchenko, who hammered it in to the roof of Craig Gordon’s net.

Tha Tartan Army had their hearts in their mouths soon after when the Scottish defence was found wanting again and Volodymyr Yezersky had room after Andriy Voronin picked him out in the area, but the hosts survived as Yezersky failed to trap the ball.

McLeish had every right to be raging at half-time after his side were denied a stick-on penalty double, firstly when marauding full back Alan Hutton was tripped by Andriy Vorobei and then when McCulloch was tripped later on. However, all the Scots got for the latter appeal was a booking for a complaining McCulloch, who will now miss the trip to Georgia this week.

Ukraine too had a penalty shout, for a Gary Naysmith challenge on Shevchenko, but Dutch referee Pieter Vink was not interested in handing out spot-kicks.

After the break, Voronin came close to silencing the rising bars of ‘Flower of Scotland’ when he connected with a 25-yard volley, but he failed to get it on target.

Oleg Blokhin’s men were seeing more and more of the ball in the early stages of the second half, but Scotland defended stoutly and resolutely, with McLeish sending on Christian Dailly for an international return as McCulloch hobbled off.

McFadden was still looking dangerous and nearly profited from some good work by Ferguson and Stephen Pearson before the visitors thwarted him in the box, but a few minutes later, he got his revenge with a quite sublime touch and finish for 3-1.

Hutton, after a powerful possession holding run, played a long ball across to the left of the area where the Everton man was lurking. His first touch to dink the ball into space in front of him was brilliant and he then drove a left-footed effort past Shovkovski to put Scotland back in control.

Ukraine rarely threatened for the remainder, but there was still time for sub Garry O'Connor to join McCulloch on the suspended list for Wednesday after a silly yellow card. Scotland now head for Georgia, knowing that they are tantalisingly close to a first appearance at a major finals since France ‘98.