Scotland revive World Cup hopes with impressive win in Lithuania

Scotland revived their slim prospects of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with an impressive 3-0 away with over Lithuania.

Despite Gordon Strachan’s insistence to the contrary, this was without doubt a must win match for the visitors, with their chances of making it to the World Cup next year left hanging by a thread after June’s 2-2 draw with England at Hampden.

But this performance laid down a marker, with Scotland turning in their best display of the campaign so far, with Stuart Armstrong getting the away side up and running after 25 minutes, heading home the opener from a corner.

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson was a standout throughout and added his name to the score sheet with a wonderful left-footed, curling effort into the top corner from the edge of the box after 30 minutes. And James McArthur put the gloss on the result to breathe life into Scotland’s campaign.

Slovakia’s win over Slovenia means that Scotland are still four points short of second place in the group. Indeed, Strachan’s side have given themselves a lot of ground to make up, but this performance suggests that they will at least make a fight of it. With Malta at home up next, and Slovakia away to England next week, that gap could be closed to just a single point not before too long.

The 23-year-old has had quite the year moving to Liverpool and becoming a father last week. Robertson is also becoming the defining talent of this Scotland side, with his crossing giving Lithuania problems all night long. He was an outlet down the left from start to finish. The former Dundee United and Queen’s Park man is living up to his billing in every respect.

Lithuania - Setkus 6, Freidgeimas 5, Kljanskas 4, Vaitkunas 5, Sernas 7, Novikovas 7, Slivka 6, Kuklys 5, Zulpa 5, Borovskij 5, Cernych 7. Subs - Verbickas 5, Spalvis 5, Matulevicius 5.

Scotland - Gordon 5, Tierney 7, Mulgrew 5, Berra 5, Robertson 9, Brown 7, McArthur 7, Armstrong 8, Forrest 5, Phillips 8, Griffiths 7. Subs - Ritchie 5, Martin 6, McGinn 4.

10’ LITHUANIA SHOULD HAVE SCORED! Scotland got away with one there. A loose pass gave the ball to Novikovas inside the box, but he put his shot wide of the near post. He needed to hit the target.

24’ ANOTHER SCOTLAND CHANCE! Griffiths creates the shooting chance for himself with a lovely drag back inside the box, but the deflection takes the effort wide of the far post. Nice idea.

25’ GOAL! Lithuania 0-1 Scotland: Scotland have the lead and that had been coming! Griffiths whipped the corner kick into the area and Armstrong got on the end of it to power a header into the ground and into the back of the net.

29’ GOAL! Lithuania 0-2 Scotland: What an exceptional goal from Scotland! Neat build up play on the edge of the box sees Robertson set himself up for the shot on the edge of the box and he curls a left footed finish into the top corner.

73’ GOAL! Lithuania 0-3 Scotland: And there's the goal that will surely kill this as a contest! McArthur bursts through the Lithuanian defence with a well-timed run and finishes into the net via a deflection.

91’ COULD HAVE BEEN FOUR! The pass back to the goalkeeper was a little short, with Ritchie racing on to it, but the Newcastle man slipped at the crucial time and collided with the keeper.