SCOTLAND lost a heartbreaking late goal to deny the Tartan Army a famous victory over England a week last Saturday, but it’s not the first time the Scots have lost a late goal in an important World Cup qualifying match…

NORRIE (Cathcart) – Any info on a World Cup Qualifier against Belgium at Hampden in 2001.

My mate says Scotland had the game in the bag and blew it.

Your pal may have a point.

The game in question was Scotland v Belgium, played at Hampden Park on March 24, 2001.

Scotland started well and were two ahead after 29 minutes with both goals scored by Billy Dodds.

Dodds’ second goal was a penalty conceded by Belgian full-back Eric Deflandre when he used his hands to stop a net-bound Colin Hendry header.

Deflandre was sent off for his part in the incident and Scotland went in at half-time two goals to the good against 10 men.

Scotland failed to take advantage of their extra man, however, and in the 58th minute Belgium got back in the game when a Marc Wilmots header beat Neil Sullivan in the Scotland goal.

Momentum now swung towards the away side and with the 90 minutes having come and gone Scotland conceded a late equaliser in injury-time when Daniel Van Buyten looped another header into the back of the net.

A definite case of two points lost which would cost Scotland dear at the end of the campaign as they finished two points behind second placed Belgium in the table.

Belgium went on to qualify for the World Cup Finals by beating the Czech Republic home and away in the play-offs.

Scotland: Sullivan, Weir, Elliot, Hendry, Boyd, Burley, Ferguson, Lambert, Matteo, Hutchison, Dodds.

Belgium: De Vleiger, Deflandre, Dheedene, Valgaeren, De Boeck, Hendrikx, Vanderhaeghe, Baseggio, Goor, Wilmots, Mpenza.

BRIAN (Coatbridge) – When did Scotland last qualify for the U21 European Championships, and what is the furthest they have got?

Scotland last reached the finals 1996, where they reached the semi-finals in what was then an eight-team tournament.

The Scotland side included future stalwarts Christian Dailly, Steven Pressley, and Jackie McNamara.

A 2-1 defeat to hosts Spain in the last four was followed by a 1-0 defeat to France in the third-place play-off.

The French side that day included Claude Makelele, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord.

The tournament’s top scorer was Spain’s Raul with three goals, and the player of the tournament was Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro, who 10 years later would captain his country to World Cup glory.

Scotland also reached the final four of the competition in 1982 and 1992.

Both of these tournaments also took a different shape to the current format, with no ‘finals’ and no host country.

Instead an initial group stage was followed by two-legged knockout ties right up until the final.

22,000 people filled Pittodrie to watch the first leg of the 1992 semi-final vs Sweden, but unfortunately a 0-0 draw in Aberdeen was followed by a 1-0 defeat in Scandinavia.