SCOTLAND: Leighton, Burley, Boyd, O'Neil, Hendry, McKinlay, Spencer, McStay, McCoist, McAllister, Collins. Subs: Nevin, Coach: Craig Brown.
Scorer: McCoist (53)
AUSTRALIA: Bosnich, T. Vidmar, Popovic, Van Blerk, Slater, Horvat, Arnold, A.Vidmar, Corica, Veart, Tobin. Subs: Not Used. Coach: Eddie Thomson.
Referee: H. van Dijk (Holland).
Match Report
ALLY McCOIST, leading Scotland's attack on the occasion of his 50th cap because of form and pedigree rather than sentiment, vindicated manager Craig Brown's judgement by scoring with a typically predatory header. This took his international tally of goals to 18 and yielded some reward from a match which had looked drearily sterile until the interval.
There were limited opportunities for the Scots to mesh with the European Championship finals in mind because seven first-choice players were absent through injury. However, for any Scotland forward to score in a side of constrictive firepower is invariably cause for modest pleasure north of the border.
In the entire first half, there was only a single attempt on goal and that came from a well-worked free-kick by the Scots, who used five decoy runners across the penalty area as John Collins shaped to deliver. When he struck the ball, it was a direct effort on goal curling in towards the far post until Mark Bosnich intervened.
Scotland saw daylight through the Australian ranks on two occasions, the first arriving when Craig Burley freed John Spencer for a cross-shot which bounced across the undefended goalmouth as McCoist vainly stretched for a touch. Next, Paul McStay's visionary lob found Gary McAllister making a neatly- timed run to beat the offside trap, but when the Leeds United captain gathered the ball and turned inside he found eight opponents had managed to get between him and the goal.
It was the Australians who almost scored after the break when Aurelio Vidmar gathered from his brother Tony and shot low, Jim Leighton beating the ball down and Colin Hendry booting clear. With the game opening out, there were opportunities at the other end of the field and, with his first clear sight of goal, McCoist scored. The supply was a cross from Gallacher on the left and McCoist's header was placed well away from Bosnich.
McCoist might have had another when Collins's corner from the left squeezed through the Australian defence. This time, though, Bosnich held the ball. Between times, Spencer forced the Aston Villa goalkeeper into a fine save with another netbound header.