Booth moves Scotland a step closer to finals

Football Scotland 1 Finland

Football

PHIL SHAW

reports from Hampden Park

Scotland 1 Finland 0

Hampden Park has staged countless better games and heard far louder roars, but for the modern generation of Scotland supporters, there will be few sweeter goals in the next year than last night's early effort by Scott Booth. It left Craig Brown's team on the verge of qualification for the European Championship finals, needing only a draw at home to the whipping boys of Group Eight, San Marino, to make certain.

They might not have to wait until November. Should Russia defeat Greece in Moscow next month, Scotland can begin preparing for next summer's cross- border incursion, although on the evidence of what was no more than a workmanlike display here, the cries of "Wembley, here we come" may have been somewhat optimistic.

Scotland made plain their intention to unsettle the Finns straight from the kick-off, when Colin Hendry charged forward in support of his attackers. The ploy had the desired effect, albeit a delayed one, for the eyes of the Finnish defence seemed to be focused collectively on the towering figure in their midst when their goal fell after only nine minutes.

John Spencer, who had been preferred to Ally McCoist, worked a short- corner routine with John Collins. When the Celtic man's cross swung in, the ball cleared Hendry's distinctive mane and was met instead with a decisive thrust of Booth's forehead. Fittingly, the ball came to rest in the same netting that Booth found so exhilaratingly against Russia early in the campaign; an evening when he incurred the groin injury that was to deprive Craig Brown of his services until last night.

Scotland's breakthrough clearly did nothing for the morale of the Finns, who may even have feared a repeat of last month's 6-0 humiliation by Russia. Little was seen of Jari Litmanen, the Ajax striker, who was deployed in midfield. Alan McLaren, who similarly curtailed his effectiveness in Helsinki, tailed him remorselessly.

Indeed, there were times when Litmanen had to shadow his marker, who felt confident enough to join in some flowing moves orchestrated by Gary McAllister. The Finnish response to adversity was manifested in some crude lunges from behind, one of which, on Spencer, earned Kari Rissanen a caution before the half-hour.

The same fate immediately befell Markku Kanerva, who scythed down the Chelsea striker after a wretched goal-kick by Kari Laukkanen had put him under pressure. From the free-kick, rolled short by Collins, McAllister's low curling shot allowed the goalkeeper to redeem himself. On the stroke of half-time, another Booth header from a Collins corner almost produced the second goal that would surely break Finland.

Scotland appeared unsure whether to try to press home their superiority or close the game down. If uncertainty transmitted itself to a crowd who, after Booth's goal, had probably anticipated a rout, the sight of a more animated Litmanen pushing forward at the start of the second half caused Hampden hearts to flutter.

For all that, Jim Leighton, whose jersey was a psychedelic confusion of colour, had not been forced into a save worth the name before Scotland came desperately close to doubling their lead after 57 minutes. As Booth and McAllister converged on Tosh McKinlay's cross, the hapless Kanerva stuck out a leg to divert the ball against the base of Laukkanen's right- hand post.

A cross shot by Tom Boyd, which passed narrowly wide, briefly distracted the crowd from their Mexican wave. But it was Litmanen, with a chipped shot which Leighton caught comfortably and a pass which enabled Ari Hjelm to fire inches wide, who did most to remind the Scots that their passage to England was not yet a formality.

With two minutes remaining, Litmanen set up Kim Suominen, whose wildly misdirected volley sailed over the bar and brought an explosion of relief from the stands which turned to rapture on the final whistle.

SCOTLAND (3-5-2): Leighton (Hibernian); Calderwood (Tottenham), Hendry (Blackburn), Boyd (Celtic); McKimmie (Aberdeen), McLaren (Rangers), McAllister (Leeds), Collins (Celtic), T McKinlay (Celtic); Booth (Aberdeen), Spencer (Chelsea). Substitutes: McCoist (Rangers) for Spencer, 72; Jackson (Hibernian) for Booth, 80; B McKinlay (Dundee Utd) for McKimmie, 87.

FINLAND (1-4-3-2): Laukkanen (FinnPa Helsinki); Kanerva (HJK Helsinki); Suominen (Admira Wacker), Rissanen (FinnPa), Holmgren (FinnPa), Nieminen (Jazz Pori); Myyry (Meppen), Litmanen (Ajax), Lindberg (Morton); Jarvinen (FinnPa), Hjelm (HJK). Substitute: Gronlund (HJK) for Nieminen, 63.

Referee: V Melnichuk (Ukraine).