Stark's side ultimately punished for lack of wins as qualification dream dies

Tuesday 11 September 2012

DEFEAT might have ended their hopes but it is draws that have cost Scotland's Under-21 side a place in the European Championship play-offs.

Austria 3 Scotland 2

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Assured of second place in Group 10 behind winners the Netherlands, all the variables fell into place for Billy Stark's side last night; all bar one. The Scots had to beat Austria but, level as their final qualifier edged into stoppage time, they were caught out when Raphael Holzhauser scored a winner on the counter-attack at the Cashback Arena in Altach.

The blue-shirted youngsters slumped to the turf, left to regret not their first defeat of the campaign but their failure to beat the Austrians at home or Bulgaria either in Paisley or Lovech. They would not be one of the four best runners-up who join the group winners to decide the seven teams who will join hosts Israel in the finals next summer.Stark could perhaps argue that his squad have been the victims of their own success. After all, Jordan Rhodes and James Forrest had been lost to the senior squad, while the absence of Gary Mackay-Steven with a knee injury and Leigh Griffiths to an illness deprived him of attacking options. That said, the coach was able to call on Tony Watt, who scored in the 3-0 win over Luxembourg last Thursday, and it was the Celtic striker who belatedly hauled the Scots back into the tie after the hosts opened the scoring.The Austrians' hopes might have ended with defeat by the Dutch on Friday but they started on the front foot and Michael Gregoritsch headed into the roof of the net in the eighth minute after getting in front of Ryan Jack to meet an inswinging cross.At that stage, the Scots were struggling. Andreas Weimann of Aston Villa hit the side-netting after Gregoritsch headed on a diagonal, then had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty as he failed to convert Stefan Schwab's left-wing cross under a challenge from Danny Wilson.Scotland eventually grew into the contest and sparked in to life on the half hour. First Watt was just beaten to David Wotherspoon's header across goal before Johnny Russell missed a great chance, failing to make true contact on a Paul Hanlon cross and allowing the goalkeeper to gather.The Austrians were still a real threat, though. Schwab mis-kicked a cute Weimann cutback from 12 yards then headed wide from a corner but Scotland gradually began to gain the ascendancy and were level after 54th minutes. Russell leapt brilliantly to head on Wilson's long free-kick and Watt reacted quickly to head over the onrushing goalkeeper.Again the Austrians rallied but Scotland were dangerous on the break and stunned the hosts in the 74th minute when Watt got round the outside of his man on the left and drove the ball into the goalmouth. The Austrian goalkeeper fumbled and Russell bundled the ball over the line.However, just like their 2-2 draw in Bulgaria in May, the Scots lost an instant equaliser. Ross Perry failed to deal with a cross from the left and the ball spun off his knee and fell for Weimann, who dived to head home from six yards.The Scots, realising that their chances were slipping away, pushed forward. Hanlon came close with a 35-yard lob and Watt had a sight of goal from a tight angle but the ball would not fall favourably and they were caught out as the game entered stoppage time.Substitute Gregg Wylde lost the ball on the left wing and Austria broke quickly to set up a two-against-two before Holzhauser ran into the box and fired across Jordan Archer and into the far corner.The draw had been avoided but the despair had not.

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Stark's side ultimately punished for lack of wins as qualification dream dies

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