Scots win battle but lose war

England's stroll towards the 2000 European Championship became an embarrassed hobble at Wembley last night. Shortly before half-time Scotland, playing the more incisive football, scored one of the three goals they needed to deny Kevin Keegan's team a place in the Low Countries next summer and thereafter England wobbled.

To a large degree the amount of life left in the contest depended on the strength of Scottish belief that the 2-0 lead England had established at Hampden Park four days earlier could be overturned.

As expected, Kevin Keegan remained true to the players who had put England in such a commanding position, with one exception. Martin Keown was kept out by a calf injury, Gareth Southgate taking his place at centre-back.

All England needed to do initially was watch, wait and see if their opponents were going to try and reverse Saturday's result by stealth or give it the charge. With Neil McCann replacing the suspended Kevin Gallacher and Callum Davidson in for Paul Ritchie on the left, Scotland looked reasonably equipped to put early pressure on Keegan's defence.

England, however, set out to deny the Scots time and space on the ball as soon as they crossed the halfway line. In some respects Keegan's team began as they had left off at Hampden, with eight men regularly gathered behind the ball.

Yet England were the home side and Wembley pleaded for the goal which would render the rest of the proceedings all but meaningless.

Paul Scholes, scorer of both England's goals in the first game, almost did as much in the ninth minute. Colin Hendry mis-hit an intended clearance as he met Alan Shearer's centre from the right and Scholes's first-time shot went just wide.

Clearly Scotland had entered the match in an anxious frame of mind and over-anxiety saw Neil McCann tread on the ball after Craig Burley's pass had found him unmarked near the left-hand corner of the England penalty area. Then Barry Ferguson rose well to meet Davidson's cross from the left but only to head high over the bar.

Nevertheless, Scottish optimism began to rise slightly as some familiar avenues opened up for Craig Brown's side. Again Jamie Redknapp's tendency to drift in from his unfamiliar position on the left allowed Burley an inviting corridor of space on Scotland's right. Once more Ferguson and Don Hutchison were gaining a grip of the midfield. Up front, however, Scotland were having no more success turning the England centre-backs than on Saturday.

England were achieving less territorially but occasionally their attack carried more penetration. In fact Michael Owen slipped the ball into the net 11 minutes before half-time but the referee had spotted Shearer's elbow impeding goalkeeper Neil Sullivan and so the goal was disallowed. After 38 minutes an even greater shudder of deja vu ran down English spines.

Suddenly Scotland were a major threat to an England place in Euro 2000. A centre from McCann on the left and Hutchison outjumping Tony Adams to nod the ball down past David Seaman's right hand. Scotland deserved their lead.

England urgently needed to tighten up their game. Paul Ince did not help matters by getting himself booked for a foul on McCann shortly before half-time.

Scotland lost none of their momentum during the break. On the resumption Ferguson and Collins were still driving forward to support Hutchison, Burley continued to roam free on the right and McCann was again giving the attack the element of surprise it had lacked four days earlier.

Yet England could have settled Wembley's nerves in the 52nd minute had Shearer not shot hastily over following another Hendry mistake. It was that sort of night for the home side.

England (4-4-2): Seaman (Arsenal); Campbell (Tottenham), Southgate (Aston Villa), Adams (Arsenal), P Neville; Beckham (both Man Utd), Ince (Middlesbrough),Scholes (Man Utd), Redknapp (Liverpool); Shearer (Newcastle), Owen (Liverpool, Heskey, Leicester, 63min).

Scotland (3-4-1-2): Sullivan (Wimbledon); Weir (Everton), Hendry (Rangers), Dailly (Blackburn); Burley (Celtic), Ferguson (Rangers), Collins (Everton), Davidson (Blackburn); Hutchison (Everton); Dodds (Dundee Utd), McCann (Rangers; Burchill, Celtic, 74).

Referee: P Collina (Italy).