SO this is what happens when you invite your Auld Enemy up to your place for a catch-up.

SO this is what happens when you invite your Auld Enemy up to your place for a catch-up.

England came to Glasgow for the first time since 1999 and threw Scotland's hospitality back in their face.

Indeed, they did not even change the song they sung at the party, winning 3-1 with the same ease they did the last time they were here.

Andy Robertson's late goal for Scotland made their victory appear less comprehensive than it actually was.

After this, it might be another 15 years before England are asked back.

The celebratory mood this nation was in after Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier win over Republic of Ireland was well and truly deflated by Roy Hodgson's party-poopers.

At least when the teams were reunited at Wembley 15 months ago after their lengthy separation, Scotland made a real fist of it, leading twice before finally going down in a five-goal thriller.

But this time Gordon Strachan's side were knocked off their stride and their newly ascended perch by a goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and a double from Wayne Rooney.

That will have hurt the proud manager, who was desperate not to see the year end on a bum note. This was about as low as it could have got and will give him plenty of food for thought between now and our next Euro tie in March against Gibraltar.

That fixture will be a first for Scotland as the minnows are new to the international scene. Playing England is a completely different matter. This was the 112th time we had crossed swords.

The annual match-up was sidelined at the end of the 1980s when England decided they didn't need the argy-bargy for bragging rights quite as much as we did.

That left a feeling of resentment among the Tartan Army and Scottish players which burns to this day, as Scott Brown reiterated prior to last night's game.

In truth, England might still have had the stomach for games against Scotland but they did not have the appetite. They had come to the conclusion playing their impoverished, cross-border relations didn't actually do anything for them or their street cred.

Now, as they tumble down the Fifa rankings - having stunk out the World Cup finals in Brazil - the English players and their fans crave something to get their adrenaline flowing as they plod through a non-descript European Championships qualifying group.

Scotland, of course, are always more than happy to give the English their fix of passion-filled football, as they showed when they took them all the way at Wembley last year.

For Strachan and his men, last night should have been the chance for revenge and an opportunity to pin another significant scalp to the totem poll they have been building in the past 15 months.

More importantly, they wanted to maintain the momentum built up this year, given such a boost with the win over the Irish at a rocking Celtic Park last Friday.

Hence the reason that Strachan resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes from that side, with Chris Martin for the injured Steven Fletcher the only alteration to the starting XI.

England boss Hodgson took another tack, leaving out six men from the team that had defeated Slovenia at the weekend.

Proudest of all to come in was keeper Fraser Forster, making an emotional return to the stadium where he had enjoyed so many wonderful nights as a Celtic hero.

The only frustration for him - and Scotland's players - was that he didn't touch the ball at all for the opening 19 minutes.

Even then his involvement amounted to no more than taking a free-kick.

Not that the Swedish ref, Jonas Eriksson, blew for too many of them, much to the chagrin of Shaun Maloney, Steven Whittaker, Steven Naismith and Robertson, all of who believed they'd been the subject of over-robust tackles from Rooney, Danny Wellbeck and a few others in lilly white.

So much for suggestions that Scotland were the side with the aggressive style.

England's counter-attack threat was a constant worry to Scotland who struggled to retain any meaningful - and necessary - possession.

Accurate passing was a real problem for the home side and their system was misfiring in every area.

In place of the clever build-up play which has become their hallmark, defenders quickly reverted to long balls forward, which were meat and drink to England.

When Robertson did it once too often in the second half, Strachan was out screaming at him.

Ironically, it was a simple ball over the top which was Scotland's undoing in the 32nd minute when England opened the scoring.

Grant Hanley allowed a long diagonal cross from Wilshere to go over his head, presumably unaware Oxlade-Chamberlain had run in behind him.

A deft flick of his forehead and the ball was whistling into the corner of Marshall's net.

That cheap goal flattened a crowd already struggling to get engaged. They did cheer when Craig Gordon appeared for the second half four years after his last Scotland cap.

James Morrison and Darren Fletcher also came on but it was no happy return for the 31-year-old Celtic keeper. Within two minutes, he was picking the ball out of his net.

After Mulgrew got booked for hauling back the rampaging Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner's free-kick ricocheted around the Scotland area until it bounced off Robertson's foot and looped invitingly into the air.

Rooney needed no second bidding and headed in his 45th goal in his 101st appearance for his country.

And less than two minutes after Robertson had provided some hope of a late fightback Rooney netted his 46th goal for England when he drilled home sub Adam Lallana's cut-back to restore the two-goal advantage.

How Scotland could do with someone so prolific. Stevie May and Johnny Russell were both auditioned for the part, coming on for Hanley and Maloney.

Russell did at least set up Robertson for his goal. But there was to be no happy ending to 2014 for Scotland.