Scotland's morale can survive narrow loss to world champs

There were no points to take for Scotland from the Dortmund's cavernous Westfalenstadion last night but no shame or lasting damage either.

To emerge from the hardest imaginable fixture in international football, and to have traded blows in the narrowest of defeats, was the sort of tolerable loss which could be accepted without mourning.

For four glorious minutes in the second half Scotland were holding Germany in their own backyard, just 58 days after they had lifted the World Cup. Some brisk counter-attacking play brought a handful of chances for Ikechi Anya - scorer of what was instantly an iconic goal - and Steven Naismith.

Gordon Strachan's team was undone by loose defending when Thomas Muller gave Germany the lead and then restored it for them.

Russell Martin and Grant Hanley could be forgiven their nervousness but conceding poor goals will sink the campaign unless there is immediate improvement, starting on October 11 against Georgia.

Charlie Mulgrew picked up two silly bookings in stoppage time, earning himself a red card which was too late for the Germans to exploit.

No defeat can be celebrated by any self-respecting team but this was the sort of setback which did nothing to puncture momentum. Morale survived and there was no heavy defeat to badly dent our goal difference.

Germany pressed Scotland from the start, dominating the first half, but the second 45 was open and competitive.Now and again the world champs were on the back foot, even looking briefly rattled.

Gordon Strachan's team was surprising. James Morrison was in, despite playing little football since a knee injury. He began in an attacking midfielder role behind Steven Naismith.

Shaun Maloney, one of the manager's favourites, was left out. Both Barry Bannan and Ikechi Anya played, a couple of wee men on the flanks against one of the tallest of international teams.

Not that height makes it into even the top five qualities of this superb German machine. Bannan and especially Anya came on to fine games.

While Scotland had five from the English Championship (plus another five from the Barclays Premier League and just Mulgrew from the SPFL Premiership) Germany started with eight players who had featured against Argentina in the Maracana.

The man who won the World Cup, Mario Gotze, led their attack but it was soon Muller, Marco Reus and Andre Schurrle who were asking most of the questions.

THE GERMANS quickly assumed a gentle and smooth control of the ball and the tempo.

This was the patient, crisp, assured football which won the ultimate prize. They were willing to wait and pick their moments. The Scots defence was jumpy. Their clearances were scruffy and inconclusive, inviting fresh pressure.

Muller somehow put a free header wide from six yards. The flag was up for offside but Grant Hanley and Alan Hutton didn't know much about that. Moments later Muller won another header, and in 18 minutes did so again to score.

Rudy floated a ball into the box which seemed to hang in the air before the striker sent a header looping header over Marshall. Ach, it felt a cheap goal to lose.

Marshall had a fine game, making a number of good, unfussy saves. Just before half-time he clawed a Reus effort off the goalline after Schurrle had opened up Scotland down the left.

Martin was fortunate not to concede a penalty for a handball which went unnoticed.

The first half had been predictable: sustained German pressure with few chances for Scotland to earn themselves a breather. It was hard for them to get the ball down and play.

Long balls to Naismith, in the air or on the ground, pitched him into a duel with Jerome Boateng. The Bayern Munich man won.

Still, there were moments which lifted the spirit. Mulgrew cracked a shot off the inside of the post, albeit again an offside flag was up. And if Anya's first touch had been better he might have been through on Manuel Neuer but the sweeper-keeper, way out of his goal, mopped up.

These encouragements were clearly seized upon in the half-time team-talk. Scotland delivered a rousing spell of play in the second half.

Naismith beat one man, then another, then another, desperately trying to make space for himself to shoot. He got there but had taken too many touches and pulled his effort just past the far post.

Then Anya picked out Naismith in the box but his attempted volley was horrible, veering high and wide.

SUB Steven Fletcher claimed handball when Rudy blocked his header. It often feels as though the Sunderland striker's international career has never really taken off but his was the pass which opened up Germany to put Anya through.

The wee fella had a lot of ground to cover and a lot of thinking time, but, boy, he ate up the yards before tucking the goal of his career inside the far post.

For those four tantalising minutes, it was level. Then, having scaled the heights, Scotland quickly slipped.

Sub James McArthur made a hash of dealing with a corner, miskicking the ball into the heart of the six-yard box and allowing Muller to thrash a finish high into the net.

Still Scotland fought. Benedikt Howedes ought to have been sent-off for denying Naismith a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Gotze almost added a third at the death before Muller hit the post. Marshall's goal survived. Germany's hero then picked up a booking for hauling down sub Shaun Maloney.

Overall, Scotland left with their self-confidence intact. Dust down the oldest Scottish cliche: glorious defeat.