Scotland v Croatia Sportscene

Auto The coach makes four changes to the side beat at home to Belgium.

The Champions League winner Mandzukic is upfront.

Stephen Naismith will earn his 25th cap tonight.

Mandzukic is a major influence in the team.

The fifth meeting between the nations. The third here. Croatia

have yet to beat Scotland. Three draws and that solitary Scottish

success at the end of last season. The goal scoring hasn't been a

problem for the national team. Only Serbia and Belgium stopped that

happening in two-and-a-half years. It is keeping them out at the other

end that proved troublesome. Can Scotland avoid the wooden spoon

tonight? Croatia are here with revenge on their minds. Yeah, I am

looking forward to the game tonight, pressure free. The players will go

out and express themselves. They finished off with wins and is that

because they are finishing off playing without pressure? That's a

wonderful take as well by Kalinic. Scotland did just enough to get away

with that. Maybe it is that lack of game time

you are talking about. Steps forward. There was an excellent

chance for Kalinic. Early pressure coming from the

visitors. Wonderful skill from Kranjcar. You can see the threat

right away of the full backs. It could yet be the worst of the

runners-up. And launched into the penalty area by Srna. He doesn't

think twice about delivering it into that area.

A lovely touch for Scott Brown. Naysmith. The intervention from

initially from Mandzukic made the difference.

It brings it back to Naysmith and just can't get it on target.

Martin. Looking for Bannan again. Scotland are certainly lacking

height when it comes to attacking. It is Croatia attacking just now.

This is a chance for Croatia. A tackle comes from Anya and

unfortunately for Scotland they had enough bodies back. One of those was

Hutton and he scoops it clear. I think Hanley and Mulgrew get

themselves in some mess. Hanley gets a flick on. Mulgrew tries to

recover. There is a severe lack of communication between the left

fullback and Hanley. It should have been 1-0 when you see that.

It is a good challenge. Mulgrew in the overlap. It does go to Charlie

Mulgrew. It is towards Snodgrass. He has done it again!

The hero from Southend is a hero and Scotland have stunned the Croats

again! And it is all about the quality from

chrly Mulgrew. -- Charlie Mulgrew. Mulgrew carries on his run. Naysmith

opens it up and waits for the overlap. Everything is exceptional

from Scotland. He attacks it. It is an excellent header. There is no

chance and Modric starts it deep and he can't defend after it, but we do

our bit, that's for sure! Isn't he happy?

Naysmith went down. The referee isn't going to give a free-kick, I

don't think. They are zipping the better now. They are looking for a

second goal. Anya. A safe option. Morrison. Naysmith. And the

woodwork. It would have been two 2-0. Mulgrew. What a vital pitch

that is because that's flying in the bottom corner. What a great save!

Pletikosa, the 34-year-old, down and low to make the save from Snodgrass.

Naysmith wins it again. Snodgrass. Barry Bannan. Can Morrison pick

someone out? He found Bannan again. Hutton. To Brown. He tried to work

it back out to Barry Bannan. It looked like it might fall for

Scotland there. There is a foul on Modric again. They look as if they

don't like being on the back foot, Croatia, especially when Scotland

get into wide areas and get the crosses in the box. You can see

there, we can get it in areas that hurt them. We just can't get our

final delivery on that occasion, but really good play all around.

It has been as well Scotland played at Hampden Park in a long time,

isn't it? Yeah, especially at home. It would be nice to finish off with

a win. At the start, Croatia were forcing us back and they have really

grown into the game. We look as if we can get right at them. The win is

not assured. The confidence has grown as the game went on.

A good turn by Kalinic. Kalinic just feeds it wide and Kalinic just runs

into the box. Vaouk Vukojevic wants it to end up in the net.

The Scotland fans who made the trip to the national stadium are very

happy with the way the game has gone.

This is a better build-up from Croatia.

As good as we have seen from Scotland at Hampden Park for a long,

long time as Robert Snodgrass heads up the tunnel having given Gordon

Strachan's team the lead. The header from the Mulgrew cross. It is

half-time at Hampden Park. It is Scotland one, Croatia nil.

Scotland looked reasonably comfortable so far. Croatia have

never beaten Scotland. Snodgrass and Hampden Park dreaming.

Well, it will feel like a result given the turmoil that went before

and they are on the offence early in the second half. Yeah, the pass and

he picks up a handball. It was Snodgrass firing it through.

He has been booked and that would mean he would miss the first leg of

Croatia's play-off. It is Bannan.

It is disappointing. There was plenty of power on it, but it is

always on the way up and can't get it down quickly enough. He won't be

taking a the next one, will he? He is note taking a. What would he have

had to say to his players at half-time? Just keep it going. Just

make sure we don't get murdered. Typical Brown. Anya. He picked out

Bannan. Anya and Snodgrass and Naysmith wait in the middle. He gets

it to Hutton and the challenge comes to Scotland and it will be the first

corner kick of the night. Morrison, that was the pass, but just delayed

that to Anya and that freed up Bannan. Both Croatian players go

from right to left, but it is a vital block against Hutton. Good

defending in the end. Barry Bannan to deliver. It looked like punch,

but he got away with it. That was a nervous moment because he was

embarrassed and I could see he was struggling a little bit. But he got

a bit of the ball and managed to knock it back. He has come along way

since that first-half against Wales here.

It is a free-kick. No matter what Brown says. Yeah, Brown is telling

him that your call got the free-kick. When you see that again,

Martin is showing his studs. It came through to McGregor from

Modric. We know he packs a punch. He has a good strike on him, but that

won't trouble McGregor. Hutton. That's Bannan. Al Anya, a little bit

of time to control. Looking for a Teammate. Morrison didn't catch it.

It is a descent cross in. It managed to slip it through. A real chance

for the leveller, but he can't take it. And just a touch too far. It

started by McGregor's poor kick out. Just a poor ball. He took it

probably a yard too far on his right foot as well and tried to force it

in at the angle. McGregor does just enough, but it is a good chance, but

it is not taken. There is that touch. It is really poor for

somebody of the quality of standards.

That is zipped in and flicked over by Mandzukic. He should be doing

better. Good pressure again from Hanley. Neigh smit has done a really

good job tonight. Snodgrass and finds Bannan. And a penalty. It is

the tricky Anya again brought down by Vida and Scotland have a chance

for a second goal! That was positive from Anya. There is nothing in the

ball. I think that's a penalty. The correct decision from the referee.

Better angle. No touch of the ball and takes Anya out. A clear penalty.

Well, well, well, the final 18 minutes of the game and Barry Bannan

who is yet to score for his country has the chance to do so from the

spot! What a moment for him!

He wunds tried to wrestle a spot kick off Darren Fletcher. Fletcher

overruled him. The spotlight, the limelight, firmly

on Barry Bannan now. And a chance for a second goal on the night. It

is saved, but it goes in. Steven Naismith with just his third

goal for his country might have just beaten Croatia in this campaign, a

horror campaign to end on the brightest of notes.

Bannan goes to his left. Naysmith gets off. Take nothing away from

that man. He is loving that. He certainly showed the instincts

there. He doesn't look too happy, but he will be delight. Scotland

lead the top seeds. If only this was the start of the campaign. Those two

horrible results against the Welsh coming home to roost. The ifs and

buts, of course, if it was two games the other way, Scotland would have

been in the mix for a play-off spot. Anya dragged the ball on to his left

foot. It almost fell to Naysmith again. It is swashbuckling out there

and the Scots are loving it. They are down to ten at the moment

because Anya is on the deck. Naysmith plays on. It was a great

tackle. They are going to find space. They are going to have to get

a goal back and really open up and that's going to leave them exposed

because you can see here. Snodgrass who scored earlier, he has a new

daughter as well. All thanks to that. Heading home the Mulgrew cross

and he got the winner against Croatia last time and he got the

first tonight and he is replaced by James McArthur.

A lovely ball. He is still smiling. It does look as though they are

heading for the play-offs. That's another foul on Stephen

Naysmith. I am not sure about that at all.

Hanley has been solid tonight. A sigh of relief. Naismith or Hutton

got the final touch on to that. We are into the final few minutes.

Ambitious. They will take that all night if that's all they can offer.

30 yards out. He did well to beat McGregor.

And towards Naysmith. Scotland are threatening to score again. He freed

himself up well tonight, Naysmith. A good ball in by Dorrans.

Modric. Another mistake from the Real Madrid man. Can they add some

gloss on to it? It doesn't look as if they can. Scotland were the first

nation knocked out, but they are a team in recovery. There is so many

green shoots just now. Finally, the 2014 World Cup qualification

campaign can be consigned to the history books. It will still be

remembered as one of the worst ones in that Scotland participated in.

There has been so many positives in Gordon Strachan's nine months.

Gordon Strachan will spend the next year preparing the players for the

2016 European qualifiers will be made in Nice on February, 23rd.

Naysmith knocking home the Barry Bannan penalty that was saved. The

headlines will make quite a reading for Gordon Strachan and his men

tomorrow. Scotland 2, Croatia nil. A fantastic result. Apologies for

the lack of sound at the start of the programme. You didn't miss much!

I am sure that sentiment was felt by the Scotland manager, Gordon

Strachan. He spoke to Alistair Lamont. I asked you beforehand what

it would mean to you to bring that home win to the fans. You have done

it. How does it feel? As a manager, you don't get too excited as the

players do. The players are enjoying themselves and rightly so. It is not

just what you have seen there, they have had to put a lot of work and

hours in the last few get togethers and this week it has been hard

training and we have decided that's what we have got to do. They can't

rest and hope they get better and they did things out there that they

have taken from the training ground and their ability and determination

made things we wanted happen. Guys, congratulations. Have you had a

better week? Yes. It started off stressful and stuff. The baby was

over due and different things like that and we cap it off with a goal

and I dedicate the goal to my daughter, she was just born, but the

main thing here was three points and delighted with that.

Stephen, it looks like Gordon Strachan seems to get the tactics

spot on? Yes, I think we have great quality of players in the squad and

we have had to believe that. We have had to gamble and play the forward

passes and get us further up the park and that's the biggest thing

the manager wanted us to do and the two performances against Croatia and

the other per fixed-termonses has shown us that. It is a building

progress so we will finish this campaign off brilliantly.

You are not getting carried away, but the passion of the fans will

think that having two wins over Croatia we can go on and achieve

something in euro 2016, can we? We have to deal with pressure of

winning games after not winning games. With he have done that. We

have dealt with that pressure. That's the hardest pressure. Now we

have to deal with expectation which is great. If you said to us about

five games ago, "When you play Croatia and you play the final game.

If the pressure then is expectation, we take it? Of course, we will take

it. Can this give us the confidence that the euro 2016 team can be a

prospect? Croatia are a great side and we have done well against them

at home and away. We are not going to get carried away. There is great

positives there. As Stephen says, we need to keep building and Gordon

Strachan is the man in place and he has got us in the right way.

And you have got to go home and change some nappies now? Yes!

Scotland fans are happy. Let's look at the other results from Group A.

This is how it looks. A good result for Wales away to Belgium.

Serbia thumped Macedonia 5-1. What does that mean for the final Group A

table? Belgium finish top of the group and Croatia, despite the

defeat in Glasgow this evening, our runners-up will go into the play-off

draw on Monday. The fear was Scotland that might finish bottom.

We have not. We are fourth ahead of Wales and Macedonia and that's

better news than we may have had otherwise.

A good result this evening, guys. Pat, was this the best Scotland

performance of the campaign? It got steadily better. It is a campaign of

two halves. It started badly, but nine points out of twelve and

against Croatia, they are a good side. People will say Croatia

weren't at their best, maybe they have not qualified, they are in the

second place. But I thought they played well and they hell on well.

We got the tactics right. Craig, how impressed were you by

Scotland? We were really good. We are going into this without a home

win the entire campaign and to get that mopgy off our back was a --

monkey ouf our back was an important thing. Our home performances haven't

been great. We have come across a system that seems to work and we

have got a great home result now. It was a descent start for Croatia.

In the 27th minute, a breakthrough for Scotland. How impressed were you

by the goal? I want to show you something. We play the ball forward.

They go forward. Look at where Anya is. He is chasing Srna. That's all

very well him doing that, but what are you going to do going forward?

You have created a big gap for us to break into. That is a great piece of

play. That is a perfect pass and you don't get a better cross there. And

I just think all in all, that's a brilliant goal and we were committed

to the game more and more at that point.

It seemed like a really classy moment of play this Craig? Yes,

everything about it was fantastic. We have the run on the defender and

Snodgrass and he is over the back of him as he is entitled to do. The

defender might be looking for his goalkeeper to come and give him a

hand out. It is beyond the middle of the goal. It is possible he could

have tried to get a hand on Matt and he stayed in his line and there is

only one place it is ending up and that's in the net.

A great header from Snodgrass and he is a new dad. Scotland had their

tails up and Snodgrass once again, Craig, could have made it 2-0 soon

after?after? It was Ades, excellent move. Being patient as well and

getting it wide and it does get put into the striker's feet. It is Scott

Brown who finds himself up there. He had Naysmith talking about being

positive going forward. The weight is perfect for Snodgrass to go and

hit first time. It is an excellent save to keep it out.

This little tap with Scott Brown, that's world-class. It doesn't look

like much, but that's world-class and by the way, it doesn't look bad.

That's a really sharp save by the goalkeeper. We will be talking about

another save from the penalty. First of all, I have to say, Pat, was it a

penalty for Scotland? I have to say when I saw it first, I didn't think

so. But the moment I watched it from the other angles, this is Anya, he

is attacking Srna and this angle shows you something. He put his body

between the ball and the player. Does he get a little bit of ball?

Maybe so. He gets the player as well. It gave us that opportunity.

What about this penalty? Was it a poor penalty from Bannan? It is good

height from a goalkeeper. The keeper has a chance of saving that. And he

has done. If you can get away it as a goalkeeper, you try and get away

with it. If we missed the rebound, we would be talking about that, but

it was great following up from Naysmith to be inside the six yard

box to tuck that away. Naysmith, he chased everything. He

held the ball brilliantly. He won more balls than the others. His

energy was fantastic. His attitude is the attitude you want Fred every

single -- from every single Scottish player. Look at Barry Bannan there.

That was a great moment. Does Naysmith have a future? 100%.

No worries at all putting him up. He holds the ball brilliantly. He is

willing to go beyond. He is a good goal scorer as well and he is

defending from the front. I thought he was superb and happy to be up

there. Anya? He goes with Srna and he runs

away from Srna. You are talking about a top, world-class fullback

here. Look at the ball here. He is left-back again. He saved us. That's

our winger. That's our flying winger. He kept on doing that time

and time again. Gordon Strachan has got in his head and what height is

he? Right in there. You are not asking him to do that. He is a

strong player? He is a strong player. But the defensive stuff, he

did it brilliantly. Going forwards... Going forward, he is a

threat. It was great work rate from him all night. He came off near the

end. He put in some amount of effort and going in both directions and we

were talking about perhaps he was a player against the teams you were

trying to break down. He can play against anybody and do the defensive

role as well as he can do the attacking role and here he is taking

a on the fullback. Is he with Scotland for the few? He is a great,

great fullback. He loses the ball, but he goes for it again. He has the

pace and the power to go for it again. He almost gets a corner. I

could not see one weakness in his game tonight.

Croatia have a tough time. Their coach has offered his resignation to

the Croatian FA. Has much changed with Scotland? The performances and

results have. It is hard to work out the discernible elements. What's

Strachan done that made us a better side? Well, Craig said to me

earlier, and he was spot on. What did they have to buy into? The work

rate has to be good and emp has to be in a group together and the

technical things, but the shape is important. At home, we have got one

man upfront, but it is everyone behind that. When you lose a ball

and you are not in possession, everyone has to do the right thing.

Look at it here. Freeze it here. There is five in the mid-field. Anya

is back there and so is Barry Bannan. How hard is it to get

through that five? Naysmith is creeping into the picture as well.

Naysmith would go and chase and you have ten out field players working,

chasing, closing down when they haven't got the ball and the

important thing is when you have got the park, be comfortable on it, hold

the ball. Believe in yourselves. It has to have that working together.

Gordon has got that happening in a very short period of time and he has

to keep it going. Yes, suddenly we are seeing green

shoots of recovery and Gordon Strachan doing great things. As we

look ahead to euro 2016, how hopeful are you? It is easy to get carried

away, of course, after a couple of good results? How hopeful should we

be? We should be hopeful. We are nine points from the last 12

available is a good place to start from. It will give us a lot of

confidence. This was a -- shot in the arm.

Robert Snodgrass gave us victory and we thought that things could get

better? With the new manager coming in, we knew we weren't going to

qualify. Once the pressure was off, we started to play a little bit.

From doing that, our confidence has come back and when we get on the

ball and pass it around like we did a few times in the first-half, we

created good opportunities going forward and the last few games as

well, we have been more solid at the back, but not just the back. The

compact mid-field to stop teams playing through the middle of us has

really helped us and we are looking like a descent international side

again. 24 teams will qualify for Europe

2016. That's almost half the team in Europe. Do you think Scotland will

be there? I hope so. We have to bring through as many players as we

can. He found a few players. Anya is important. I am trying not to go on

about it him all the time! He changed the dynamic. It is not just

about Anya. Anya came on the scene and made a difference. We might need

a few others as well. We might need some of the youngsters, the

Fletchers coming back would be handy, but maybe a couple of the

youngsters up at Dundee United. Get them coming through together and we

have got a chance going through, but yeah, working this play -- looking

at it like this, playing like that, yes. We have got this win tonight,

fantastic result, but until the qualifiers, it is all friendlies and

we won't be playing competitive matches until well into next year.

Is that something Gordon Strachan will need to work out how to tackle?

Yes, I think so. He will have time experimenting with who is going to

go into that campaign. That's a long time in football. There will be

injuries. There will be different players coming into t squad and

people's form will go up and down. There is time to build towards that,

but he will experiment with a few friendlies and get a few people in,

but he has a nucleus there of a good squad if he can keep everybody fit

and Scott Brown coming in for the second half of the campaign helped

in the mid-field area. If they can keep everybody fit and keep that

bunch together, we will give ourselves a good chance.

Which players would you like to see Gordon Strachan bring in

particularly? I heard Gordon talk about it early on in the week and

young players can look really good early on and the lads up at Dundee

United are young, but you can come through as well. Hibs have Harris.

These are boys that can come through, but it might take a couple

of years, but as long as we have got a production line, we can look in

the background and see they are coming through. None of us didn't

see Anya coming through. There might be two or three more that he can get

and get the best out of them. I am getting confidence in the changes

like putting Mulgrew beside Scott Brown. I didn't see that and it is

working great for Celtic and Scotland as well. But when he is not

needed and needed at fullback he can do that. The adaptability of the

players is fantastic as well, but our goal scorer, if Naysmith can

start scoring goals we are capable of doing it. Bring back Stephen

Fletcher. We are close, but we are trying hard not to get carried away

and Gordon will get angry with us if we do!

Let's get up-to-date with the results:

Let's start with the Group A. Who will go through to Brazil 2014?

In Group C, Germany and Sweden fought a real humdinger.

Sweden about go into the play-offs. In Group D, Holland are assured of

top spot. Romania leapfrog Turkey after they beat toes tonia --

Estonia. Is auto land are in second place

after they drew 1-1 with Norway. In Group F, Russia go through as

group winners. Portugal will have to make do with a play-off round.

In Group G, what a result for Bosnia -Herzegovina. Greece are into the

play-off draw. And finally, Group I, Spain were

winners over Georgia and France were winners over Finland. That means

that Spain the World Cup holders, of course, they go through to the World

Cup, Brazil 2014 automatically. France go into the play-off on

Monday, but they will not be seeded. Well, that's it in terms of Sports

Scene for this evening. But we are back soon. On Saturday, we are back

to premiership business. ??LINEBRE On Sunday, I'm back with

highlights of the week action at 10.25pm and on BBC One.

My pAntion to Pat -- thanks to Pat and Craig. That's it. The campaign

is over for the eighth tournament in a row Scotland will not be there,

but there are signs of improvement. France 1998 was our last major

tournament. Maybe France 2016 can be our next tournament. For the moment,

it is good night.