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It’s now two goals in four caps for the army’s favorite tartan scorer with an Australian accent
His strike in the second half was enough to win all three Nations League points against a stubborn Slovak side
SCOTLAND GO AHEAD 🏴Lyndon Dykes clings to a cute O’Donnell cross and stabs him in front of the keeper 📺 Watch the #NationsLeague shock live in the Main Event photo from Sky SportsTwittercom / 703SZpk6pD
Scotland were a tough watch against Israel last Thursday night, but this performance was full of encouraging signs
Clarke is building something now Slowly but surely this team is doing the trick and they deserve praise for this victory
These are seven international games now unbeaten in a race that spans a calendar year
Came Ryan Fraser, Kenny McLean, John Fleck and Andrew Considine, who made his international debut at the age of 33
This made him the oldest player to make his first appearance in Scotland since Ronnie Simpson in 1967
He played his first pass directly to a Slovakian player and took five or ten minutes to settle in
Considine’s cap should inspire players playing in the Scottish Premiership who may have given up on reaching this level in the game
SO CLOSE TO SCOTLAND! 🏴Fraser lands a handsome cross on the head of Oli McBurnie, who can only hit the crossbar 📺 Watch the #NationsLeague clash live in the Main Event photo from Sky SportsTwittercom / HcW7Nl4JjA
Clarke described the center-back as a persistent 7/10 player who never lets his team down and that probably wasn’t the biggest compliment in the world
But Considine’s steadfastness in a red shirt over the years has made him a worthy call. And who knows, maybe he’ll now be an integral part of Clarke’s plans
The veteran stopper was right alongside Declan Gallagher who was also uncompromising at the back
The shame for Considine, of course, was that her big night wasn’t as big as it should have been
If he’s ever dreamed of playing for Scotland, it’s unlikely it would have looked like this
Hampden is a stadium that must be filled with 52,000 supporters to feel alive and with empty stands the atmosphere is strange
So these Scottish players had to generate their own intensity – which they did successfully
The teams went 0-0 at the break but Clarke’s team was the dominant team
Slovakia made no less than nine changes after winning a shootout in the shoot-off against Republic or Ireland last Thursday night
Clarke would have been happy with how the first half went, although goalkeeper Dusan Kusiak didn’t have much to do between the sticks
Fraser’s job was to partner up with forward Dykes in a way McBurnie didn’t against Israel and the little man’s pace made it an act of lively support
It was only half the chance before the break, however, and nothing specified where it counted on the pitch
Stephen O’Donnell came closest to scoring with a rebound after 36 minutes, but in truth he didn’t really seem to believe he was going to score from the edge of the box when the balloon fell to him It was no surprise when he fired his shot well away from the target
One thing that would have pleased Clarke was that Slovakia didn’t give David Marshall a meaningful save before the start of the second half
Of the other players who came to the squad looking to make a good impression, Kenny McLean was the
His role was to have Scotland play from the middle of the park and he made excellent use of the ball
Fleck was also impressive at his side with the Sheffield United tiger in the tackle as well which was great to see
He landed a yellow card within minutes of the start of the second half and in all fairness he probably couldn’t have too many complaints about Italian referee Davide Massa’s decision
That said, there have been baffling appeals for judgment from the Serie A official throughout this contest.
One decision in particular when Fraser was shot down as he exploded forward – and inexplicably had a free kick awarded against him – was utterly ridiculous
The whistler also seemed to close his eyes to a villainous challenge from Marek Hamsik on John McGinn seconds before the halftime whistle
The Slovaks will insist the referee should have awarded them a penalty when Dykes tripped Jan Gregus into the box, but it was completely accidental and one of the few decisions he made
It was a well-worked goal that came Fraser combined with O’Donnell on the right and the cross from Motherwell’s defender was perfect for Dykes to enter the six-yard box
At first it looked like the QPR forward may have drifted offside, but he timed his move perfectly, his finish leaving the keeper no chance
There was a real determination on the part of the Scottish defense to keep them from leveling every time they pushed the men forward
McBurnie has yet to score for Scotland, but he couldn’t have come much closer with a header that cut the crossbar Ultimately, however, Scotland didn’t need another goal to see victory
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Scotland National Football Team, UEFA Nations League, Steve Clarke, Slovakia, Lyndon Dykes
World News – GB – Lyndon Dykes in the second half strikes enough for the Scotland responds to sorry Slovaks
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
