Slovakia 1-0 Scotland
Match 5, Nations League, Grp B2
15/11/20
Scotland endured their first defeat in over a year losing one-nil away to Slovakia in their penultimate Nations League group game.
The loss will be taken with a large dose of perspective as the Scots still remain top of their group no matter the outcome between the Czech Republic and Israel later this evening, and having come off the back of a historic night in Budapest on Wednesday.
The goal that separated the teams, and succumbed Scotland to their first defeat since October 2019 against Russia, was scored by Minnesota United’s Jan Gregus with a low strike midway through the first half.
The Scots shouldn’t go away from Trnava too disheartened with Clarke’s team largely the better side throughout the game.
Guilt edge chances fell to Oli McBurnie, in for the rested Lyndon Dykes, Ryan Christie and Liam Cooper but none could replicate the heroics of Budapest.
Reaction: “Pleased with the team without the result” in a raft of changes
“Little bit wasteful. We still have the opportunity on Wednesday night.”
Eight was the number of changes to today’s side and the side which beat Serbia so historically on Wednesday.
After the defeat in Trnava probably the most notable of the changes was McBurnie in for Dykes, with the Sheffield United forward missing a hatful of chances including a gilt-edged header in the first half.
Still the team played admirably in a performance boss Steve Clarke refused to concede was a backward step.
Clarke told the BBC after the game: “Little bit wasteful. We certainly deserved to get something out the game though.”
The result leaves Scotland four points ahead of the Czech Republic who play Israel at 19:45.
If the Czechs win Scotland go into the final round of games one point clear at the top of the group.
If Scotland beat Israel on Wednesday they will secure promotion to league B1.
Clarke said of Scottish prospects: “Pleased with the team without the result. We still have the opportunity on Wednesday night.”
Further articles:
-Scotland beat Serbia on penalties to enter first major competition in 22 years: Match report
-Reaction: Scotland’s at the Euros
-News: Aberdeen FC chairman Dave Cormack’s anger at scenes in Aberdeen bar during celebrations over Euros glory
First half – back to reality
It was supposed to be a quiet, cagey affair by a much changed Scotland side still weary from parties ensued after securing European qualification, however Slovakia-Scotland started at breakneck speed.
The Slovaks were up for it and even though Scotland were missing a host of first team players, including captain Andy Robertson, they still looked to be riding the crest of a wave which is yet to brake.
Within ten minutes veteran Scottish keeper Craig Gordon had to throw himself at a Juraj Kucka shot that swerved in the air.
Moments later Christie was in but his tame effort was saved by Slovakia keeper Marek Rodak, then, literally a moment later, Christie was in again in the same spot on the left side of a front three. This time the Celtic man squared it to McBurnie and the ball found its way through to Liam Palmer who blasted just over the bar.
The game was by no means a come-down tie from the historic match against Serbia.
There was a lot at stake here including Scotland being able to secure promotion out of group B2 and Slovakia having to win to avoid relegation into B3 of the Nations league.
Scotland seemed to recognise this and even though Clarke had rung the changes – eight in total – the team still looked sharp.
Christie was the most potent attacking force on the pitch and Slovakia knew it, dishing out some hard treatment to the forward, first on the edge of their box on twenty-seven minutes, then in the Scotland half in the twenty-eighth minute, leaving the often mild-mannered forward tempestuous.
Christie was lucky referee Istvan Kovacs ignored the Celtic man’s kick out after finding himself on the end of successive fouls.
McBurnie was in at number nine for the much heralded Lyndon Dykes, having a chance to prove he could be more than a bit part player next summer, but the Sheffield United forward looked to be messing up his audition.
He took too long on a chance when he was played in by Liam Cooper in the opening quarter, next he failed to read a Christie cross after a superb run by the Celtic forward, but most explicable of all was the header he made off Liam Palmer’s excellent cross just after the half hour mark.
McBurnie found himself right in front of Rodak and a nod left or right of the Slovak keeper would have been a goal.
For all Scotland’s zeal they were punished midway through the first half when Jan Gregua’s shot beat the returning Craig Gordon, limply rolling into the right side of the goalkeeper’s net.
The tactical master that is Steve Clarke would have been disappointed at how his often solid Scotland defence stood off the Slovakians to allow them to open their account.
Clarke has instilled real belief in this Scotland side and, even though they went one-nil down, heads didn’t drop and a flurry of white shirts kept breaking forward with an almost pig-headed determination to score.
The closest Scotland’s dominance came to restoring parity was two minutes before the interval when Stuart Armstrong beat Rodak to the ball but lifted it across goal.
Scotland were unfortunate to go in at the break one-nil behind.
Considine watch: Quiet game for Andy but there wasn’t much he could do being the left of a back three that often reverted to four. Didn’t put hardly a foot wrong and couldn’t do much from his position for the goal. Did nothing to play himself out of contention for the summer. Replaced by Griffiths on sixty-eight minutes.
Second half – world class Rodak save keeps Scotland at bay
The second half continued in much the same vain as the first – fast football, a flurry of activity and some cynical fouling.
Even though Scotland had come from a late one on Wednesday they were still hustling and harrying, seemingly still buzzing off the reaction to their recent achievements.
The man that seemed to fizz the most was the man that didn’t get a rest. Tierney played all 120 minutes on Wednesday, but by the way he was getting round the pitch in Trnava you would have thought he’d come, not from an emotionally charged penalty shoot-out in Budapest, but a two week vacation in Barbados.
Tierney’s power and pace on the left wing got him in position to produce a zinger of a cross that was met brilliantly by McLean and just as brilliantly beaten away by Rodak.
Surprisingly it was the Slovak’s who were the first to make changes including replacing their elder statesman Hamsik.
Even though they’d withdrawn their best player, Stefan Tarkovic’s team were still carving open opportunities – most notably a Patrik Hrosovsky shot that zipped across Gordon’s goal.
With time running out Clarke made his move and it was a positive one, replacing Considine for Griffiths.
Questions swirl round Leigh Griffiths like a North Sea breeze coming into shore, however the forward has to be given huge credit for the bravery he showed in burying the first penalty so emphatically against Serbia in midweek.
The chance for Griffiths to continue his return to the fold fell in the eighty-first minute when a slip by Slovak sub Dominik Greif gifted the ball to McBurnie who played in Griffiths. The forward let the ball run but didn’t have the pace to catch it and Lubomir Satka swooped in to clear.
Man of the match: Ryan Christie
A toss up between him and the akeline bunny that is Tierney. Tierney came more into it in the second half but Christie was superb in the first. In the middle of the half nearly everything was going through the Celtic man who, if he keeps up the form, will have a superb summer next year.
Slovakia, 4-1-4-1: Rodak, Pekark, Satka, Skriniar, Mazan, Hrosovsky, Duris (->90+4), Kucka (->61′), Hamsik (C) (->68), Gregus, Duda
Subs: Jakubeh (GK), Greif (GK), Pauscher, Valjent, Gyomber, Suslov, Mraz, Schranz, Safranko (->90+4), Mak, Lobotka (->61′), Rusnak (->68′)
Scotland, 3-5-2: Gordon, Considine (->68′), McKenna, Cooper, Palmer, Tierney, McLean, Armstrong (->87′), McBurnie, Christie, McGinn (C)
Subs: McLaughlin (GK), Marshall (GK), Paterson, O’Donnell, Taylor, McTominay, Gallagher, Jack, Shankland (->87′), McGregor, Burke, Griffiths (->68′)
Goals: Gregus 31′,
Up next: Israel (away)
Scotland’s final Nations League group game is against Israel, Wed 18th, 17:45KO.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 