Scotland go second after Slovakia success
Thursday, October 10, 2013
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Scotland 2-1 Slovakia
Stuart Armstrong and Steve May struck before the break to secure a victory which lifts Billy Stark's men into second in Group 3.
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Scotland bounced back from defeat in the Netherlands to post a narrow victory against Slovakia which keeps them three points shy of the Group 3 summit.
Stuart Armstrong and Steve May struck within five minutes of each other to put the hosts in a dominant position at half-time. Tomáš Malec's 69th-minute effort set up a nervous finale, but the home side held on for three points ahead of Monday's trip to Georgia.
Billy Stark's men started the brighter with Callum McGregor quick to test Patrick Le Giang in the Slovakia goal. McGregor then blasted over from a tight angle but the breakthrough was soon forthcoming as Armstrong finished tidily from Clark Robertson's neat cut-back.
May lashed in from 20 metres to double the lead and it could have been three after the break but the Saint Johnstone FC man saw his flick come back off the bar. Malec bundled in a low Jaroslav Mihalík cross to give Slovakia hope, before Róbert Mazáň blasted over in the final minute as the visitors dropped their first points of the group.
