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PA Sport 9y

Own goal the difference as Scotland battle past Georgia

Scotland picked up their first three Euro 2016 qualifying points thanks to a nervy 1-0 win over Georgia at Ibrox.

Gordon Strachan's home side were the better team, but it took an own goal in the 27th minute to bring victory.

Georgia keeper Giorgi Loria pushed Shaun Maloney's drive from inside the box onto the leg of defender Akaki Khubutia, and the ball trundled over the line.

The win sets up Scotland for a trip to Warsaw to play Poland on Tuesday night, but improvement will be required if they are to bring points back.

Unusually, Strachan left it late to name his team, but the biggest talking point was Darren Fletcher starting on the bench with Scott Brown taking the armband.

As expected, David Marshall was preferred to in-form Celtic keeper Craig Gordon in goal as Steven Fletcher, fresh from scoring a double for Sunderland last week, returned to lead the line, supported by Steven Naismith, while left-back Andrew Robertson replaced Steven Whittaker.

Rangers' stadium, used as Hampden Park is still out of commission due to its use in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was heavy with expectation -- if well short of its 51,000-capacity -- by the time the teams emerged for the kick-off.

Much was expected from the Scots following their impressive display in the 2-1 defeat by World Cup winners Germany in Dortmund last month.

And when the game began after a minute's applause for former Scottish FA chief executive David Taylor, who passed away in the summer, the home side set a high tempo.

However, Georgia defended with a degree of comfort in the early stages, with keeper Loria having to deal mainly with crosses and corners, albeit none too convincingly.

Scotland had a firm grip of the game but there was more perspiration than inspiration and there was an element of luck to the goal.

The tireless Robertson's cross from the left was pushed clear by Loria but only to Maloney, whose shot from 16 yards was saved by the keeper and cannoned against Khubutia, with the ball ending up in the net.

As fortuitous as it was, the goal relaxed the home side and their supporters, and Strachan's men began to turn the screw.

In the 35th minute, Naismith only just failed to control a clever pass by Fletcher, allowing Loria to smother, before Brown's curling shot from the edge of the box was deflected for another corner.

Fletcher headed a Robertson cross past the near post as the home side finished strongly in the search for a second and probably clinching goal.

Driven on by Brown, Scotland continued to boss the game after the restart, but good buildup work fell down all too often when they could not find the final pass.

There was a moment of concern for the home side on the hour when, in trying to deal with a long ball, defender Grant Hanley lost Nikoloz Gelashvili but the Georgia striker flashed his shot over the bar.

Moments later, as the Scots pressed again, Naismith drove an angled shot straight at Loria, with Fletcher doing likewise soon afterwards.

Tension increased slowly as the minutes ticked away. Robertson carelessly gave the ball away to Gelashvili ,then had to make a blocking tackle on the Georgia forward to concede a corner, which came to nothing.

In the 78th minute, Naismith screwed a shot wide of the far post after good set-up play by Fletcher.

You could have heard a pin drop a minute later at the other end when the ball fell kindly to Georgia substitute Irakli Dzaria inside the Scotland box, but he fired wide to the relief of the home supporters.

James Morrison then drew a save from Loria at the expense of a corner, which Hanley headed over as the Scots saw out the win.

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