Scotland in spectacular form
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Article summary
Last year's finalists Scotland stormed through Group 9 without dropping a point or conceding a goal as they advanced into the Elite round with Germany.
Article body
Scotland have every hope of matching their run to the 2005/06 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final as they stormed through qualifying round Group 9 without dropping a point or conceding a goal. Germany also moved into the Elite round with a match to spare.
Goodwillie hat-trick
Any worries that this year's Scotland side could not match the previous vintage were allayed by the hosts on Matchday 1 in Stirling as they defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 6-0. David Goodwillie struck a first-half hat-trick, with Steven Lennon also on target, and after the break substitute Fraser McLaren and Greg Cameron added to the score. Germany were just as emphatic in Alloa with a 7-2 win against Estonia. Manuel Fisher, joint top scorer at the 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals, took only six minutes to open his account in this competition and Sebastian Tyrala made it two soon after. Kaimar Saag pulled one back on 20 minutes but before half-time it was 4-1 as Tyrala scored again and Sergeo Evljuskin put through an own goal. In the second period substitute Dennis Schmidt and Ken Kallaste struck before a late Max Kruse double.
Duo through
Two days later both Scotland and Germany were into December's Elite round draw. Scotland took 52 minutes to score against Estonia in Falkirk but once Kevin McDonald had found the target he did so again five minutes later. Darren McCormack made it three on 65 minutes and Lennon claimed his second of the mini-tournament just before the end. Germany went one better in Stirling despite having to wait two minutes longer to break the deadlock against Bosnia-Herzegovina through Daniel Halfar. In the last 26 minutes, though, Schmidt - introduced at half-time - managed two goals with Mesut Özli and Kruse making the final result 5-0.
Scotland top
To take first place, therefore, Scotland needed to defeat Germany in Falkirk, and Goodwillie's 23rd-minute strike proved enough despite a late red card for Paul Emslie. The game attracted an attendance of 3,115, the biggest for a home Scottish youth international in some years. Estonia beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 as Antonio Vidović's 14th-minute goal was trumped after the break by Sergei Mosnikov, Sander Puri and Saag, but they cannot go through as the best third-placed team.
