Scotland still alive

It was Celtic midfielder Scott Brown who got the crucial opening goal as his superb diving header in the 56th minute sparked the Scots into life after previously having been second best.

James McFadden then clinched the points with a wonder solo effort nine minutes from time to send the Tartan Army into raptures.

Scotland will now be guaranteed second spot in the group if they can beat the Netherlands on Wednesday but they must try and win that match without McFadden who got his second yellow card of the campaign in the first-half.

Even if Scotland do finish second they are not guaranteed a play-off spot as the second placed team with the worst record misses out on the one-off knockout round of final qualifiers.

Ultimately Scotland deserved the victory but only after a poor first-half that the visitors bossed.

Macedonia continually broke with purpose and pace and had a number of chances with Lazio striker Goran Pandev proving to be their architect in chief.

The forward twice forced Craig Gordon into smart saves and the makeshift Scottish central defensive partnership of 39-year-old David Weir and Stephen McManus, who was making his first start of the season, looked vulnerable.

At the other end Scotland struggled to get anything going and a couple of efforts from Brown that flashed wide were the best they could muster.

Just on the stroke of half-time Brown infuriated the Macedonian players when he blasted against Igor Mitreski and out for a Scotland corner when the visitors expected him to return the ball back to them after they had put it out of play in order for one of their players to receive treatment.

Ultimately that act of bad sportsmanship did hurt the Scots because it was from the resulting fisticuffs and verbals that McFadden got the yellow card that sees him banned for the Netherlands clash.

Scotland played with much more purpose in the second-half and had a great chance in the 50th minute when McFadden checked back superbly in the box before scuffing a shot high and wide.

Just moments later Macedonia had their best chance as Pandev was slipped clean through. His shot was saved by the feet of Gordon but if the striker had checked the ball back to Aco Stojkov the wide man could have placed it into the empty net.

That rare piece of poor judgement from the Lazio man proved doubly crucial five minutes later when Brown dived superbly to guide Steven Fletcher's cross into the corner of the net for the opening goal.

After going in front Scotland were the more driven side but they were still giving a warning sign in the 63rd minute when Slavco Georgievski blazed a shot over the bar after being found free on the edge of the box by Pandev.

The match was then settled by a moment of brilliance from McFadden in the 81st minute as he picked up the ball in his own half before going on a mazy run. He skipped past three players, putting the ball through the legs of the final defender, before rounding the keeper (pictured) and placing into the empty net.

Shaun Maloney nearly made it three a couple of minutes later but his profligacy did not prove costly as Macedonia were already a beaten side.

The Netherlands on Wednesday will prove a much sterner test for George Burley's side but this result at least means the Tartan Army can still dream about a place in South Africa.

Norway's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup were damaged when they drew 1-1 away to Group 9 bottom team Iceland.

Norway, who last played at a World Cup in 1998 in France, grabbed the lead in the 11th minute when John Arne Riise blasted a 25-metre free kick past keeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson who misjudged the ball as it went straight over him into the goal.

An unmarked Eidur Gudjohnsen equalised for the hosts 18 minutes later when he headed in Gretar Steinsson's cross.

Iceland had the better chances in the second half but never managed to find the net.

The draw put the Norwegians in third place on seven points from as many matches.