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Scotland manager Steve Clarke praised his side for keeping their cool and using Georgia’s time-wasting “shenanigans” to their advantage after Lawrence Shankland headed a stoppage-time equaliser in Tbilisi.
Georgia twice took the lead through the impressive Napoli attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but late call-up Shankland earned Scotland a 2-2 draw when he headed home fellow substitute Stuart Armstrong’s cross two minutes into added time.
Although Scotland has already secured their spot in Euro 2024 and Georgia is aware they will have a play-off in March, the game still had a strong competitive atmosphere. Both teams received three yellow cards and there were physical altercations in both halves.
Clarke observed that his team responded positively to the extended breaks for injured players and capitalized on the additional eight minutes of play.
Clarke explained that one of the difficulties of coming here is knowing that the team will do whatever it takes to achieve a favorable outcome.
We must respond to the situation and ensure that we remain in control and do not participate in or support any disruptive behavior.
“We continued to persist and push through, aware that there would likely be additional time due to stricter enforcement of time wasting. It was satisfying to score during injury time.”
Last month, Shankland was removed from the team, but he bounced back by scoring five goals in his last five matches with Hearts. He also took advantage of the opportunity when Che Adams had to leave the game.
Clarke stated that with only 10 minutes remaining and considering the amount of injury time likely to be added due to Georgia’s frequent time-wasting tactics, they were aware that there was still enough time to make an impact.
“We were in need of a goal and as we all know, Lawrence always has a good chance of scoring one. I am overjoyed for Lawrence and for the entire team.”
Earlier in the 49th minute, Scott McTominay scored a goal as Scotland showed improvement following a lackluster first half.
The final goal put an end to a streak of three losses and a string of defeats in Tbilisi.
Clarke stated that if you are unable to win the game, it is important not to lose. He commended the team for their resilience in coming from behind twice in a challenging environment.
Georgia has a strong team, with one outstanding player, Kvaratskhelia, who scored two impressive goals and posed a challenge for our defenders.
In total, we had many attempts at scoring, but we could have been more precise. Out of the 16 or 17 shots we took, only five were on target. Despite this, we demonstrated perseverance and it was crucial to avoid a defeat.
“We were aware that this would be a challenging match, as Scotland had previously played here twice and failed to score, resulting in two losses. Therefore, we anticipated a tough game.”
“We had the intention of coming here to break our losing streak and return to victory. However, we were able to end that string of defeats and now our focus is on the upcoming game against Norway on Sunday. We aim to end on a high note with a strong performance and a win on our home turf.”
Georgia’s coach, Willy Sagnol, noticed that some of his players who had not been playing much, struggled during the period after the hour mark when Scotland took control.
Sagnol expressed satisfaction with the first hour of play, stating that their team executed their game plan effectively both on and off the ball.
The issue is that we have a plethora of skilled individuals, but they do not consistently participate in full matches with their respective teams. They may only play for 15-20 minutes at a time. This lack of continuous playing time may eventually lead to fatigue as they are not accustomed to playing a full 90 minutes.
“We suffered a setback due to the alterations made, and it is disheartening to concede a goal during extra time.”
“Scotland did not acquire the point through theft, they performed well in the match.”
Source: independent.co.uk
