Levein wants 'diver' banned but keeps focus on Lithuania
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Your support makes all the difference.Craig Levein believes that Scotland have "a new focus" for tonight's game with Lithuania, after the disappointment of Saturday's controversial draw with the Czech Republic. Two late penalty decisions by referee Kevin Blom went against the hosts at Hampden Park, and so the game that Scotland needed to win ended 2-2.
Scotland are still five points behind the Czechs, albeit with one game in hand, and qualifying without victory this evening is quite implausible. Levein insisted that his players would not let their sense of grievance distract them from their important task on the pitch this evening.
"I can't go in to every game concerned that someone might dive in the box and the referee makes two horrendous decisions," he said. "In the normal course of events I would expect competence from referees and how often do these things [diving] happen? There was the initial feeling of anger but we have a new focus and that is tomorrow night. It is important not to allow what happened on Saturday to have any negative impact."
Despite his attention on tonight's match, Levein believes that there should be retrospective punishment for Jan Rezek, whose dive in the box won the Czechs the last-minute equalising penalty on Saturday. "Nothing is going to happen that will help us get any of the points back," he admitted. "But there are situations I feel that we shouldn't let pass. We have a player who has dived and admitted it. His director of football has come on the television and said it wasn't a penalty. I remember a similar incident four or five years ago when [Saulius] Mikoliunas received a two-game ban. Well, a precedent has been set and I don't believe the Czech Republic deserve to have Rezek available for the next two games."
Scotland's attack will be led tonight by David Goodwillie, with Kenny Miller suspended and Craig Mackail-Smith injured. The 22-year-old has only played 14 minutes of international football before, but Levein trusts the ability of Blackburn Rover's recent £2m purchase.
"I put David Goodwillie in the squad for a reason," Levein explained, "that's because I feel he's capable of playing international football. David would sit third in the pecking order and what a great opportunity for him. What an opportunity for a young lad to play in a game of this magnitude. Technically he has the ability and also knowing him personally he won't be fazed by the size of this game. If I'm David Goodwillie it's an exciting time for me."
Steven Whittaker, available again after suspension, may well start at right-back with Alan Hutton and Phil Bardsley both struggling. Hutton has a tight groin, and Bardsley went off on Saturday with a dead leg. Scott Brown is also missing through suspension.
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