Source: FOOTYMAD
Scots off to winning start
The FF match report from the Hampden friendly against the Czech Republic. Scotland 1 (Brown 61) Czech Republic 0Attendance 26,530The Craig Levein Era got off to a winning start at Hampden tonight as Scotland upset the odds with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, courtesy of a Scott Brown goal.Remarkably this was the Scots' first victory in a Friendly International on this ground for fully fourteen years - since a certain Alistair McCoist scored in a 1-0 win over Australia in 1996.Manager Craig Levein selected three Rangers players in his starting line-up, namely Kevin Thomson, Kenny Miller and Andy Webster - currently on loan with Dundee United.It was the visitors who made the early running, and indeed should have capitalised on a Darren Fletcher error in 22 minutes -Tomas Rosicky feeding Vaclav Sverkos whose shot was blocked by Craig Gordon. Seven minutes later from Rosicky's corner Sverkos' flick was cleared off the line by Lee Wallace.The Czechs were dominating the play - and a sparsely-filled Hampden was less than impressed at times with the negativity of Scotland.Indeed it took the Scots fully 44 minutes to test visiting goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny when Barry Robson's twenty-yard free-kick was fisted over.Christophe Berra and Paul Hartley replaced Messrs Webster and Thomson at the interval.The Scots were being outplayed at times with Arsenal midfielder Rosicky dictating play - one flowing move in 52 minutes cut open the home defence with Rosicky's cutback finding Sverkos on the edge of the box, his drive being touched over by Gordon.Four minutes later a reverse pass from Jaroslav Plasil released Ondfej Kusnir whose cross was inches away from being converted by Tomas Necid.It appeared only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken - but unbelievably when it was it came at the other end - Brown stabbing the ball home in 61 minutes after Wallace's cross had been nodded back into his path by Robson.Sixty seconds later - to loud cheers and a smattering of boos - Kris Boyd replaced Miller.The Ibrox striker came close to a dream return in 79 minutes when his flick freed Graham Dorrans down the left before seeing his shot from the winger's cross being blocked.The Czechs were still dangerous however - two minutes later former Hearts player Rudi Skacel's 25-yard shot was turned wide by Gordon.Steven Whittaker replaced Darren Fletcher in 82 minutes.Boyd had the ball in the net six minutes later following a Charlie Adam break only to be thwarted by a linesman's flag.In the dying seconds Boyd again was involved, this time laying the ball off to Whittaker whose low netbound drive was diverted over the bar by Drobny.Afterwards a contented Craig Levein summarised:"The result was important tonight. We showed resilience against a very good side. We need to build harmony and momentum before the European Championship Qualifiers begin. We worked extremely hard." SCOTLAND Gordon (Sunderland); Hutton (Tottenham Hotspur), Wallace (Hearts); Webster (Rangers) [Berra (Wolverhampton Wanderers) 45], Caldwell (Wigan Athletic), Thomson (Rangers) [Hartley (Bristol City) 45]; Brown (Celtic), Robson (Middlesbrough) [Adam (Blackpool 67], Miller (Rangers) [Boyd (Rangers) 62], Fletcher (Manchester United) [Whittaker (Rangers) 82], Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion)UNUSED SUBS Marshall (Cardiff City), Iwelumo (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Kenneth (Dundee United), Dixon (Dundee United), Alexander (Rangers) CZECH REPUBLIC Drobny (Hertha Berlin); Kusnir (Sparta Prague) [Pudil (Racing Genk) 85], Hubnik (Hertha Berlin), Sivok (Besiktas), Kadlec (Bayer Leverkusen); Hubschman (Shaktor Donetsk) [Rajnoch (Ankaragucu) 78], Holek (Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk), Rosicky (Arsenal) [Skacel (AE Larissa) 65], Plasil (Bordeaux) [Moravek (Schalke) 78]; Necid (CSKA Moscow) [Blazek (AE Larissa) 65], Sverkos (Sochaux) [Papadopulos (Heerenveen) 65]UNUSED SUBS Danek (Viktoria Pilsen)REFEREE Fredy Fautrel (France)
