Bardsley heads clear

By Graham Barnstaple
August 10 2011

Scotland secured a morale boosting 2-1 win over Denmark in a friendly at Hampden tonight.

The win ended a horrific set of stats againstDenmark, this was out first win since 1975! We hadn’t scored in the five defeats since then! None of the squad for the game tonight were born for that last win over the Danes!

Still it was only a friendly win, but it will have given everyone huge morale boost ahead of the two Euro Qualifiers coming up against the Czechs and Lithuanians next month.

There were early chances for both sides with Kenny Miller coming close with a header forScotlandand Christian Ericksen being denied by the right boot of Allan McGregor.

Scotlandopened the scoring in the 22^nd minute, Charlie Adam whipped in a vicious low free kick to the front post and it was deflected into his own net by William Kvist Jorgenesen.

The lead didn’t quite last 10 minutes and it was a set piece which was alsoScotland’s undoing. Christian Eriksen ofAjaxfloated a free kick from the left to the back post. It looked harmless enough but somehow McGregor mis-judged and the ball sailed over his head and into the net at the back post.

It was 2-1 at the break thanks to a fine goal fromScotlandwith Robert Snodgrass finishing a sweeping move. Sub Don Cowie, on for injured Scott Brown, swept the ball out to Kenny Miller on the left and his deep cross was met by Snodgrass to send a diving header past Thomas Sorensen.

The start of the second half saw the Danes look the stronger of the two sides and they had McGregor working hard in the early stages.

As always in friendlies there was a plethora of subs with the two sides making six between them before 15 minutes had been played in the second half. The changes forScotlandput them on the back foot and they were forced to hang on in the closing stages.

Sub Nicklas Pederson had two opportunities to equalise in the final 10 minutes, firstly turning and hooking a shot over and then heading wide. The misses ensuredScotlandheld on to secure an historic win.