Blood and thunder not nearly enough as craft sadly lacking

All sound and fury, no pause for thought — and certainly none of the craft that Shaun Maloney and Scotland displayed.

Gordon Strachan said that last night’s match would be like a “British cup tie”, but his team ultimately won it with the type of moment that would have illuminated any pitch in the world. That a match with so much blunt force was settled by a moment of brilliant finesse was not the only irony to Ireland’s defeat.

Before the game, all the focus had been on Aiden McGeady, but it was another former Celtic flair player with an Irish-sounding name that was ultimately worthy of such attention.