There is a tendency to form rash unhelpful judgements at youth level but this was hardly the most auspicious of starts to the post-Mark Wotte era.
Last year, with Scott Booth in charge, and under the watchful eye of the now-departed SFA performance director, Scotland - you will recall - had supposedly ushered in a glorious new era by capturing the Victory Shield for the first time in 15 seasons.
A 3-0 away win at Ballymena Showgrounds at this stage had laid the groundwork for that victory but on a soaking Hallowe'en night at St Mirren Park the party pieces mainly belonged to a game Northern Ireland team who played under the watchful eye of national team boss Michael O'Neill, performance director Jim Magilton and assistant boss David Healy. It would be folly to write off a batch of kids on the strength of one narrow defeat but the suspicion last night was that Wotte's forecast era of Scottish exceptionalism has already settled into a familiar pattern.
Scot Gemmill, assistant to Booth last year, had an entirely new group at his disposal, including Lee Connelly of Queen's Park, the son of former Dundee United player Paddy and younger brother of current Dundee United youngster Aidan. Another United player, Kieran Freeman, the only current attendee of an SFA performance school, who is currently interesting Manchester United, was kept in reserve.
Two players attached to Celtic and two to Rangers started, with one of the Lennoxtown kids, goalkeeper Aidan McAdams tested early. He produced a smart save to defy Jack Sharvin of Linfield, then looked on in relief as the same player whistled another low drive inches past.
While Tony Gallacher, a left-back with Falkirk, Rangers' Liam Burt and the lively Connelly were the most impressive Scots on show, the visitors the most composed football and it was a combination from the St Oliver Plunkett club in Belfast which made the breakthrough. Stephen Mallon, interesting many of the scouts who descended on Paisley, levered over a free kick perfect for his club mate Liam McKenna to head home.
Undaunted, the Scots pushed on, only to find leave themselves exposed. From one quick break, marauding right back Cormac Lawlor's cross was headed firmly past McAdams by Jack White, of Linfield rather than the White Stripes. Substitute Jack Aitchison of Celtic gave Scotland a spark, testing goalkeeper Conor Larkin then giving the Scots a lifeline but this was an antidote to the shiny optimism of the Mark Wotte era. "There's no doubt the result was very important and I would never try to deflect that," said Gemmill. "We are disappointed to lose but I can stomach the defeat more because of the fact we didn't accept it and kept going to the end."
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