Defeat brings grim reality

Scotland 1 Italy 2A campaign that had given so much had breathed its last but Scotland would not let go. For 30 minutes after hope had expired the Tartan Army stood firm, singing through its anger, despair and tears for an encore which eventually arrived when James McFadden led the team on not so much a lap of honour as a funeral march.

In the bowels of the stadium the talk was defiant, of new beginnings rather than another agonising ending, but the words came from the players, the officials and supporters involved in the revival. They were not so convincing from the manager.

Alex McLeish will witness tangible evidence of his successful international reign when he travels to South Africa for a World Cup qualifying draw on Sunday with Scotland among its second seeds. It may feel an empty consolation, now that his nation's more prized reward has gone, and the manager may be tempted to go with it.

Scotland's frustration stemmed from their own failings, too. Four players were oblivious to danger from a throw-in after only 70 seconds, allowing Antonio di Natale to cross for Luca Toni to flick into the top corner.

In the 20 or so minutes between Ferguson's poached equaliser and the erroneous decision of the Spanish assistant referee, Juan Carlos Yuste Jimenez, to penalise Alan Hutton for taking an elbow from Giorgio Chiellini, a free-kick award which produced Christian Panucci's winner, they played with a purpose, some style and a belief in the victory they needed to advance.

A place in next summer's finals would have completed the transformation of a country which was convinced of miracles until Panucci's stoppage-time header brought Scotland back to grim reality. In a group containing the proven pedigree of Italy and France there could be no outside help towards qualification.

An appointment in Austria and Switzerland would also have dispelled the uncertainty surrounding McLeish's future. Without it, and without a competitive fixture until next autumn, Scotland are prey to a Premier League club who attempt to capitalise on his desire to work in England's upper tier.

The challenge facing the Scottish Football Association will be as immense as the one its team faced against the world champions. "You can understand the boss being in demand and I'm sure there will be big Premier League teams looking at what he has done with us and they will be after him," said Darren Fletcher.

McLeish echoed the sentiment that this Scotland squad could make the final leap but was noncommittal on his part in the process. "I am happy in the job just now. I really enjoy it, I enjoy working with the players and the backroom staff," he began.

"But you know how football is - it's the type of business where you can never say it is going to be a definite."

A glorious failure? As the kids who traipsed from Hampden with tears rolling down their painted faces testified, there was nothing glorious about it.