Griffiths the hero as Scotland hold England
Leigh Griffiths got off the mark for Scotland in dramatic style against England at Hampden on Saturday.
The 26 year old broke his duck for the Scots with two exquisite free-kicks just three minutes apart on 87′ and 90′ to send the tartan army into raptures.
The joy was short lived however as Gordon Strachan’s men seemed to do the most Scottish thing possible. Some sloppy defending mixed with poor goalkeeping allowed Spurs hit-man Harry Kane to level it up with virtually no time remaining.
Five Celtic players started the game, a game in which even the most optimistic of Scottish fans would have struggled to predict a victory in. Each player prompted very mixed reviews from critics but here is how I saw it.
Scott Brown 7
The skipper got booked early on for a challenge on Dele Alli. As you would expect this did not deter him from his aggressive, pit bull like approach to the game that we have all become accustomed to. Despite being lucky not to see a second yellow on a few occasions, Brown had a solid game.
Craig Gordon 5
Although he made a few decent saves to keep Scotland in the tie. He ultimately was at fault for at least one if not both of the goals. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s tame effort managed to squeeze by him, while some pundits feel he was too hesitant in coming to collect the cross that led to Kane’s equalizer in the six yard box.
Stuart Armstrong 5
Armstrong never really seemed to settle in to the game. He lacked the creative spark that has been so prevalent for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side this season. His stray pass towards the end of the game resulted in England regaining possession and leveling it up. This would end what would turn out to be a day to forget for the former Dundee United man.
Kieran Tierney 7
Tierney was seen as under fire boss Gordon Strachan’s biggest gamble by many pundits. He was played on the left side of a defensive three as opposed to his regular full back position. The gamble seemed to be one that for the most part paid off. The 20 year old looked comfortable for large spells alongside Cristophe Berra and former Celt Charlie Mulgrew.
Leigh Griffiths 9
Thankfully we have left the best for last, Griffiths scored two great free-kicks when Scotland’s backs were well and truly against the wall. With 87 minutes on the clock a nervous Hampden rested all of their slender hopes of World Cup qualification on his shoulders, As you would expect the hoops talisman did not disappoint. He smashed one either side of Joe Hart with just minutes remaining and looked to have stolen a famous victory against their oldest rivals.
The goal-scoring exploits of the striker have not gone unnoticed south of the border. The Daily Mirror report that a number of Premier League clubs have expressed interest Griffiths as the look to bolster their attacking options before the new season.
I was personally very happy to see so many Celtic players in a side that could not be beaten by the best England has to offer. In what was a momentous year for Brendan Rodgers and for Celtic has been somewhat played down by the English media.
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Going unbeaten in the league while also securing the domestic treble is no longer worth anything so long as you are playing in what they deem a “one team league”. Yes Scottish football is a long way behind the English game but failing to applaud a team who has achieved domestic perfection seems to me quite petty.