Thank heavens Lawrence Shankland found his shooting boots just before the hour and gave 10-man Curacao what for. As great send-offs to the States go, this was threatening to rival bidding farewell to the Titanic from Southampton docks at one point.
Until visiting centre-forward Jurgen Locadia contrived to get himself sent off for an idiotic elbow on Aaron Hickey with eight minutes of the first half remaining, the truth is that this affair at a muggy, overcast Hampden was looking about as bad as bad could be.
Curacao were one-up thanks to Sheffield United’s Tahith Chong, who was creating panic almost every time he got the ball. Scotland were slow and ponderous. Nothing was really working out in an attacking sense. The less said about the defence the better.
When Billy Gilmour limped off before the break with what looked like an injury to his right knee — an injury in danger of putting our most technically gifted midfielder on the sidelines — the temptation to watch this through the cracks of your fingers became irresistible. Essential, almost.
Mercifully, his replacement Findlay Curtis restored parity before the interval with a scuffed effort and Shankland, anonymous playing behind George Hirst in the first 45, sparked into life to offer weight to the theory that he really has to start that Group C opener against Haiti on June 14 with two expertly-taken goals in a five-minute second-half spell.
Shankland — now of Rangers, of course — is the most natural finisher in the squad. It stands to reason that he should be let loose against Haiti, a game in which we need as many goals as possible.
Lawrence Shankland applauds the Hampden crowd after starring in Scotland’s big send-off
If qualifying results are to be taken into consideration — Curacao beat Haiti 5-1 in the second round of CONCACAF games — it should be like shooting fish in a barrel for him.
What happens after that in two entirely different challenges against Morocco and Brazil is up to national coach Steve Clarke, but this game alone lets him chuck Shankland into the fray without having to justify himself.
Shankland left the pitch for former Hearts team-mate James Wilson on 77 minutes, shortly before Ryan Christie rounded things off from the spot, with the job done. There’s another friendly against Bolivia to come next weekend, but, whoever plays, Shankland has put himself in the box seat for a starting jersey when the real business gets under way.
Other than that, there isn’t that much to take from this game other than the fact it allows Clarke and his men to depart for America this afternoon with a much-needed win under their belts and some game time in the tank for guys such as Ben Gannon-Doak and Craig Gordon.
Gannon-Doak has so much expectation resting on his shoulders — thanks to being one of the few guys in the squad with any real pace — but he looked like a bloke making his first start in any game since picking up a hamstring injury in that stupendous qualifying win over Denmark last November.
He did little before going off at the interval. That’s not a big issue in itself, but it showed there is still a lot of work to be done if he is to go into the World Cup in a position to make a positive and meaningful impression.
As for who partners Shankland up front against Haiti? Well, things didn’t really work out with Hirst. Part of that is Shankland’s fault because he was dropping way too deep. It was much better second half with Dykes. That Bolivia game will surely be used as an opportunity to see how it goes with Che Adams.
Shankland is hailed by manager Steve Clarke after being substituted in the second half
The Torino striker was missing yesterday, along with Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Kieran Tierney, Lewis Ferguson and Jack Hendry. That these guys have still to come in offers some succour, but there is sure to be some lasting unease over Gilmour’s condition.
He pulled up after playing a pass out wide to Gannon-Doak. No one near him. That looks bad in itself, as did his general demeanour as he walked off the park. It was a moment to cause even greater anxiety than the efforts of Scott McKenna and John Souttar to stop Dick Advocaat’s Curacao taking the lead on 17 minutes.
It’s hard to say, after all this time, who should be Clarke’s first-pick partnership in central defence. This game certainly didn’t clear anything up.
Curacao’s goal was just a catastrophe. All praise to Chong, who had been bright and dangerous from the off. He did terrifically well to control a speculative ball out of defence inside his own half and set off on a charge towards goal that ended up with a shot going in off Craig Gordon’s left-hand post.
Oh my days, the defending, though. What were McKenna and Souttar doing? McKenna was left trailing in Chong’s wake at the halfway line and Souttar was just too slow off his mark in tracking back.
When Chong cut inside the Rangers centre-half, McKenna was still trying to get back into position and Gordon was left flatfooted and helpless by a sweet finish.
At that stage, Curacao were really working their way into things. Good job, then, that Locadia took the most ridiculous rush of blood to the head eight minutes from the interval and got himself sent off before things got any worse.
Sheffield United’s Tahith Chong gets the better of John Souttar before firing the opener
It’s anyone’s guess what was going through his mind either when he made the inspired decision to charge into Hickey inside the Scotland box and lead with his elbow.
He caught the Brentford full-back flush on the chops, referee Goga Kikacheishvili of Georgia was directed to the pitchside monitor and there was never going to be any other outcome than a red card.
Gilmour’s removal on 40 minutes tempered any uptick in the general atmosphere, but his replacement Curtis soon altered that. There’s a good argument to be made that the World Cup is maybe coming just a little too soon for the Rangers youngster. There are rough edges to his game, no doubt.
However, one thing cannot be denied. His eye for goal is quite extraordinary. It’s hard to see him starting games in America, but he could emerge a great option off the bench if we are in need of getting on the scoresheet in the latter stages of games becoming stretched.
In his first significant involvement since replacing Gilmour, Curtis scored here. He played the ball to Kenny McLean, took the return pass inside the area, controlled it with a wonderful touch and found the far corner. Yes, it was a sclaff, without question. But who cares? It got a bit of life and electricity back into the air.
With five changes at the break — including Tyler Fletcher, son of former national captain Darren, coming on for Gannon-Doak and operating in midfield — Scotland were much better. As they ought to have been with a numerical advantage.
Dykes was much more involved in linking up play. There were some encouraging periods of possession and passing play and a lot more urgency. And Shankland, of course, got back to doing what he does best.
Shankland watches as his second of the afternoon puts the game beyond the visitors
Having had a snapshot well saved by visiting goalkeeper Eloy Room, the forward made space for himself in the area and delivered a trademark effort.
Ryan Christie had worked a corner with McLean and delivered a decent ball into the area. Shankland got himself in ahead of marker Jurien Gaari and swept the ball first-time into the net.
Five minutes later, with 64 minutes on the clock, he made it 3-1 with an even more emphatic finish. Dykes played an inspired ball out to him on the right after taking a forward pass from Christie and Shankland whacked it across Room and into the far corner at pace. Game over.
Christie, who had been one of Scotland’s more prominent performers, then wrapped it up from the penalty spot with nine minutes to play after Gaari had brought down Curtis in the box.
Hardly a grand gathering to have you dancing off into the night dreaming of glory nights in Boston and Miami, but better than it looked like being.
Shankland starts in a fortnight’s time. Naturally. Other than that, though, there remain easily as many questions as answers.
