Scotland Lose Out

Attendance 52,063 There will be no EURO 2008 bonanza for Scotland this coming summer - the dream died in the swirling wind and torrential rain at Hampden on Saturday evening when Italy triumphed 2-1 courtesy of goals scored in the first and last minutes. It was a result that was somewhat hard on a home side who never stopped running and who put the World Champions under considerable pressure in the second-half - but the harsh reality is that Scotland will have to be content with third place in the group. The Scots went into the crucial game all too aware that whilst three previous visits by the Azurri to Scottish soil had yet to produce a win for the visitors, equally Scotland have won just the once against Italy - that memorable strike from John Greig in 1965 from an inch-perfect Jim Baxter pass that lives in the mind's eye to this day. There were four Rangers players in the home side's starting line-up, namely Alan Hutton, David Weir, Barry Ferguson and Lee McCulloch against an Italian side that featured former Ibrox man Gennaro Gattuso, but not a solitary player from the Serie A reigning champions (and current leaders) Internazionale Milan. After all the build-up, all the hype, the Scots got off to the worst possible start, conceding a goal in 75 seconds when a quickly-taken throw-in found Antonio Di Natale whose cutback was flicked home by Luca Toni. Barely another minute had passed when it might - and perhaps should - have been two when Mauro Camoranesi shot over from Toni's cutback. The Scots were up against it - and fully fifteen minutes elapsed before the home side mounted an attack worthy of the name, a strong penalty claim being turned down by Spanish Referee Manuel Gonzalez when Weir's shot following a Ferguson corner was charged down. Two minutes later, from successive Jamie McFadden corners, firstly Ferguson shot over then Hutton's header was inches wide of the target. Scotland now at least were creating chances - Ferguson seeing his effort following a one-two with McCulloch held by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon on the half-hour mark. Sixty seconds later a second Italian goal was chalked off for offside when Camorensi's volley produced a wonder save from home goalkeeper Craig Gordon, the rebound being swept home by Antonio Di Natale only for a flag from Spanish linesman Antonio Gallardo to keep the game alive - although the decision must have been an extremely tight one. Italy were on top as the half drew to a close - yet right on the whistle Weir was denied when his header from a Ferguson corner was headed off the line by Andrea Pirlo. The interval consensus was that technically the Italians were the superior side - by some way - yet Scotland were level in 64 minutes when Ferguson, from a suspiciously offside position, stabbed the ball home after McFadden's free-kick had been blocked, the loose ball falling to McCulloch whose effort was parried by Buffon. Nine minutes later Kenny Miller replaced Scott Brown. Suddenly the Scots were pushing their opponents back into defence as the capacity Hampden crowd scented a second goal. It should have come in eighty minutes when a Ferguson - Miller move down the right split the Italian defence wide open, the Derby forward's cutback being sliced wide by the inrushing McFadden. Four minutes later the hero of Paris broke free on the right, but with three teammates waiting in the middle he elected to shoot and blasted the ball into the side-netting. The Italians might have wrapped things up in 88 minutes when Panucci headed wide from a Gianluca Zambrotta free-kick, but sixty seconds later controversy erupted when Spanish linesman Juan Carlos Jimenez awarded a free-kick to thevisitors when it was all too clear that Hutton had in fact been the one fouled. Pirlo's free-kick to the back post was met by the head of Panucci who sent the World Cup Holders to Austria / Switzerland and consigned Scotland's dreams to the dust. Kris Boyd replaced McCulloch immediately afterwards, although what exactly the Ranger was supposed to do in the three minutes of injury time remains to be explained. There was still time for Gordon to produce another fine save, touching over Giorgi Chiellini's shot from a Vincenzo Iaquinta cutback. At the final whistle the victorious Italians firstly applauded their own fans and then went to the centre circle to applaud the entire stadium only to be met with a crescendo of boos from the 'Tartan Army'. Sporting to the end… Afterwards Scotland Manager Alex McLeish reflected: "We didn't deserve to lose, I was very disappointed with the decision for the second goal - it was never a free-kick. We fought back after an early setback and had Italy on the ropes. My life flashed before me at Jamie McFadden's chance - I thought we were on our way. We were caught cold at the first goal. Big nations like Italy get big decisions. You have to be exceptional - a lot of 50-50's went against us, a lot of decisions were unjust. This group of players have years ahead of them. We go forward with positivity." SCOTLAND Gordon (Sunderland); Hutton (Rangers), Naysmith (Sheffield United); McManus (Celtic), Weir (Rangers), Ferguson (Rangers); Fletcher (Manchester United), McCulloch (Rangers) [Boyd (Rangers) 89], McFadden (Everton), Hartley (Celtic), Brown (Celtic) [Miller (Derby County) 73] UNUSED SUBS McGregor (Rangers), Alexander (Burnley), Caldwell (Celtic), Pearson (Derby County), Robson (Dundee United) ITALY Buffon (Juventus); Panucci (Roma), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Barzagli (Palermo), Zambrotta (Barcelona); Camoranesi (Juventus) [Chiellini (Juventus) 82], Pirlo (AC Milan), Ambrosini (AC Milan), Gattuso (AC Milan) [De Rossi (Roma) 86], Di Natale (Udinese) [Iaquinta (Juventus) 67]; Toni (Bayern Munich) UNUSED SUBS Amelia (Livorno), Oddo (AC Milan), Perrotta (Roma), Gilardino (AC Milan) REFEREE Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)