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Played
September 6, 2011 8:00 PM BST
Hampden Park — Glasgow
Referee: K. Jakobsson
Attendance: 34071
September 6, 2011 8:00 PM BST
Hampden Park — Glasgow
Referee: K. Jakobsson
Attendance: 34071
50′
Steven Naismith
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| Scotland | 1.65 | 1.04 | 1.55 | 1.06 | 1.57 | 1.55 | 1.01 | 1.58 | 1.60 |
| Draw | 3.60 | 6.50 | 3.80 | 9.50 | 3.75 | 3.70 | 12.00 | 3.70 | 3.50 |
| Lithuania | 5.50 | 101.00 | 6.25 | 56.00 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 60.00 | 6.70 | 6.00 |
Top of the Match
Barry Bannan
Scotland
Scotland
Steven Naismith
Scotland
Scotland
Flop of the Match
Deyvidas Semberas
Lithuania
Lithuania
Raimondas Zutautas
Lithuania
Lithuania
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Scotland 1-0 Lithuania: Steven Naismith keeps playoff hopes alive after Darren Fletcher is denied from penalty spot
Craig Levein's side have plenty of possession and remain in the hunt for qualification, with youngster Barry Bannan impressing and the Rangers striker putting away a crucial goal
By George Ankers
Getty Images
Scotland kept themselves mathematically within reach of Euro 2012 as Steven Naismith's goal sealed a fairly comfortable 1-0 victory over Lithuania.
Craig Levein was left with no option but to hand Blackburn new boy David Goodwillie his first international start as his only fit striker, with youngster Barry Bannan and Don Cowie coming into midfield with Scotland needing to win to stand any chance of qualification for Ukraine and Poland. Lithuania surprisingly dropped their captain Tomas Danilevicius after a disappointing draw with Liechtenstein on Friday.
Scotland, and in particular the youngsters Bannan and Goodwillie, started confidently but did struggle to create clear opportunities, until after a quarter of an hour Zaliukas needlessly got a touch on a long ball to give away a corner. Bannan’s delivery was met with a flick-on from Gary Caldwell, but Christophe Berra was denied by the defender at the near post who hooked it away from danger before he could react.
Moments later a better opportunity surfaced as Goodwillie gave a deft knock down into the path of the onrushing Cowie, but the Cardiff midfielder did not have time to take a touch and his instinctual volley was wayward.
Bannan was threatening to light up the game, attempting a mazy run in from the right and opening up to shoot from range when he found space, but the ambitious shot was just a little bit too high. The Villa man was also putting in some high-quality deliveries from corners and free-kicks from both the left and right.
With half-time looming, Scotland sought just reward for their domination and Darren Fletcher nearly found it when he cut inside Cesnauskis in the box and shot from a tight angle, but his effort was saved. Steven Whittaker had a great opportunity to head home from another Bannan corner, and Phil Bardsley crashed a low effort just wide from far out, but no breakthrough was forthcoming.
Suddenly, from nowhere, Lithuania had their first chance when Whittaker stumbled over a cross and allowed Radavicius to deliver from the left, but the defence successfully crowded out the box to deny Nameius space. Moments later the visitors broke in number, with three on one and bearing down ominously, but Semberas inexplicably dawdled and fluffed the chance.
Scotland were then handed a golden chance to grab the lead they deserved as Labukas was booked just before the break for a stupid handball in the area after a corner and Fletcher was left standing over the resulting penalty. But the Manchester United man offered a weak spot-kick, barely off-centre and low to the ground, which was saved by Karcemarskas, and despite their near-complete dominance went in level at half-time.
But then sense was seen, with Scotland finding the elusive goal thanks to great work from Bannan, who picked up the ball after smart hold-up play from Goodwillie. Bannan lifted the ball over to Naismith, who timed his movement well and hit an accomplished half-volley across Karcemarskas to make it 1-0.
That goal visibly deflated the visitors and the game fell into something of a lull as their heads went down and the Scots resumed their game-but-unsuccessful attempts to penetrate once more.
As the game dragged on Naismith looked the likeliest to bring a second goal and popped up at the back post to head a cross, but his effort was blocked by the defender in what looked like a decent shout for handball, but the Icelandic referee was having none of it.
With their captain Danilevicius brought on in hopes of sparking a revival, Lithuania slowly began to come back into it and the man himself might have made more of a cross from the left with fifteen minutes to go, but headed wide.
Indeed, Scotland were on the back foot for much of the final few minutes, but no clear-cut chances were forthcoming, only a frantic bustling which, to the home fans' relief, was survived.
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Craig Levein was left with no option but to hand Blackburn new boy David Goodwillie his first international start as his only fit striker, with youngster Barry Bannan and Don Cowie coming into midfield with Scotland needing to win to stand any chance of qualification for Ukraine and Poland. Lithuania surprisingly dropped their captain Tomas Danilevicius after a disappointing draw with Liechtenstein on Friday.
Scotland, and in particular the youngsters Bannan and Goodwillie, started confidently but did struggle to create clear opportunities, until after a quarter of an hour Zaliukas needlessly got a touch on a long ball to give away a corner. Bannan’s delivery was met with a flick-on from Gary Caldwell, but Christophe Berra was denied by the defender at the near post who hooked it away from danger before he could react.
Moments later a better opportunity surfaced as Goodwillie gave a deft knock down into the path of the onrushing Cowie, but the Cardiff midfielder did not have time to take a touch and his instinctual volley was wayward.
Bannan was threatening to light up the game, attempting a mazy run in from the right and opening up to shoot from range when he found space, but the ambitious shot was just a little bit too high. The Villa man was also putting in some high-quality deliveries from corners and free-kicks from both the left and right.
With half-time looming, Scotland sought just reward for their domination and Darren Fletcher nearly found it when he cut inside Cesnauskis in the box and shot from a tight angle, but his effort was saved. Steven Whittaker had a great opportunity to head home from another Bannan corner, and Phil Bardsley crashed a low effort just wide from far out, but no breakthrough was forthcoming.
Suddenly, from nowhere, Lithuania had their first chance when Whittaker stumbled over a cross and allowed Radavicius to deliver from the left, but the defence successfully crowded out the box to deny Nameius space. Moments later the visitors broke in number, with three on one and bearing down ominously, but Semberas inexplicably dawdled and fluffed the chance.
Scotland were then handed a golden chance to grab the lead they deserved as Labukas was booked just before the break for a stupid handball in the area after a corner and Fletcher was left standing over the resulting penalty. But the Manchester United man offered a weak spot-kick, barely off-centre and low to the ground, which was saved by Karcemarskas, and despite their near-complete dominance went in level at half-time.
Paying the penalty? | Naismith winner came after skipped was spurned from the spot
But then sense was seen, with Scotland finding the elusive goal thanks to great work from Bannan, who picked up the ball after smart hold-up play from Goodwillie. Bannan lifted the ball over to Naismith, who timed his movement well and hit an accomplished half-volley across Karcemarskas to make it 1-0.
That goal visibly deflated the visitors and the game fell into something of a lull as their heads went down and the Scots resumed their game-but-unsuccessful attempts to penetrate once more.
As the game dragged on Naismith looked the likeliest to bring a second goal and popped up at the back post to head a cross, but his effort was blocked by the defender in what looked like a decent shout for handball, but the Icelandic referee was having none of it.
With their captain Danilevicius brought on in hopes of sparking a revival, Lithuania slowly began to come back into it and the man himself might have made more of a cross from the left with fifteen minutes to go, but headed wide.
Indeed, Scotland were on the back foot for much of the final few minutes, but no clear-cut chances were forthcoming, only a frantic bustling which, to the home fans' relief, was survived.
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Goal
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Penalty
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Substitution IN
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