Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean scoring injury time goals to clinch qualification for World Cup 2026 brought back memories of other important late goals for Scotland.
1 Jim Bett v 1-0 Iceland 28/5/1985
Scotland travelled to Reykjavik at the end of the 1984/85 season for a tricky World Cup qualifier for Mexico 86 and a were fortunate to be level late in the game after Jim Leighton saved a first half penalty. Jim Bett swept home with a few minutes left to win the game 1-0 with his only international goal.
The game was overshadowed by an incident when Scotland captain Graeme Souness tackled rising Icelandic superstar Siggi Jonsson and left the youngster with a broken leg.
Scotland Team – Leighton , Gough , Malpas, Aitken, McLeish, Miller, Strachan, Souness, A Gray, Bett, Sharp – Sub – Archibald
Manager – Jock Stein
2 Richard Gough v 3-2 Cyprus 8/2/1989
A tricky trip to Cyprus on the road to Italia 90 where France had drawn 1-1 , saw Scotland take an early lead through Mo Johnston but the lead only lasted a few minutes and the teams were level at 1-1 by half time. Cyprus took a shock lead early in the second half but Richard Gough brought Scotland level shortly afterwards. The game was played in an afternoon and many fans listened on radios and watched on TVs at work. The game was 6 minutes into injury time when Richard Gough headed a famous winner to keep Scotland on track for the World Cup in Italy.
Scotland Team – Leighton , Gough , Malpas, McLeish, Narey, Nicol, Aitken , McClair , McStay Johnston, Speedie – Sub – I Ferguson, McInally
Manager – Andy Roxburgh
3 Craig Beattie v 2-1 Georgia 24/3/07
Scotland Euro 2008 campaign saw Scotland beat France 1-0 at Hampden when Gary Caldwell scored the only goal , but a defeat in Ukraine meant a victory over Georgia was vital. Kris Boyd opened the scoring but Shota Arveladze equalised before half time. Time was running out when Craig Beatiie scored his only Scotland goal and avital one on the day at Hampden, to rescue a 2-1 win. James McFadden scored a famous winner in Paris against France but defeats in Georgia and at home to Italy in the final two matches , saw the 2006 World Cup finalists France and Italy qualify at Scotland’s expense.
Scotland Team – Gordon , Alexander , Weir, McManus, Naysmith, Teale, B Ferguson , Hartley , McCulloch, Miller, Boyd – Sub – Brown, Maloney, Beattie
Manager – Alex McLeish
4 Stephen McManus v 2-1 Liechtenstein 7/9/10
Scotland were facing humiliation against lowly Liechtenstein after drawing the opening qualifier for Euro 2012 in Lithuania 0-0. The minnows took a surprise lead early in the second half before Kenny Miller equalised. Stephen McManus however scored in the 97th minute much to the relief of the 37,050 Hampden crowd. Manager Craig Levein would famously go into the following game in Prague against the Czech Repuplic with an infamous 4-6-0 formation and lose 1-0.
Scotland Team – McGregor , Hutton , Weir, McManus, Wallace, Brown, Fletcher, McCulloch, McFadden, Miller, Boyd – Sub – Robson, Morrison , Naismith
Manager – Craig Levein
5 Chris Martin v 1-0 Slovenia 26/3/17
Scotland were drawn in the same 2018 World Cup qualifying group as England who had beaten Scotland 3-0 at Wembley leaving Scotland in a battle with Slovakia for second place. Chris Martin scored in 88mins as Scotland beat Slovenia to keep qualification hopes alive. The following match saw Leigh Griffiths score two late free kicks against England before Harry Kane snatched a 2-2 draw. Scotland would finish level on points with Slovakia but with inferior goal difference, however their record was the worst of the second place teams and also miss out on the playoffs.
Scotland Team – Gordon , Mulgrew , Martin, Robertson, Tierney, Armstrong, Morrison, Brown, Griffiths, Snodgrass, Forrest – Sub – Anya, Martin , Naismith.
Manager – Gordon Strachan
6 Oli Burke v 2-1 Cyprus 8/6/19
Steve Clarke’s first game as Scotland manager saw Andy Robertson with confidence high a week after winning the Champions League with Liverpool scored with a long range effort. Cyrus shocked Hampden with an equaliser 3mins from time but Oli Burke headed a cross against the post and followed up to net the rebound.
Scotland Team – Marshall , O’Donnell , Robertson, Mulgrew, McKenna, McLean, Forrest, McGinn, Brophy, McGregor, Fraser – Sub – Burke, McTominay, Armstrong.
Manager – Steve Clarke
7 Scott McTominay v 3-2 Israel 9/10/21
Scotland kept their hopes alive of a playoff for World Cup 2022 when they twice came from behind and Lydon Dykes missed a penalty as they beat Israel 3-2. Scott McTominay squeezed home his first Scotland goal in injury time to complete the comeback and send a 50,585 Hampden crowd wild.
Scotland Team – Gordon, Patterson, Robertson, Hendry, McTominay, Tierney, McGinn, McGregor, Dykes , Adams, Gilmour. Sub – Christie, Cooper.
Manager – Steve Clarke
8 Kenny McLean v 2-1 Norway 17/6/23
Scotland had opened their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with home wins over Cyprus 3-0 and Spain 2-0 and went to Oslo to face Norway who were the likely to fight out second place with Scotland behind Spain. Erling Haaland scored a second half penalty and had been substituted as Norway looked to hang on to their 1-0 lead. Lydon Dykes fastened on to a Norwegian defensive mistake after 87mins to level the game. Scotland then produced a flowing move Stuart Armstrong fed Scott McTominay on the right , his cross evaded Lydon Dykes but feel to John McGinn. McGinn cut the ball inside to Dykes who laid it back into the path of Kenny McLean, who passed the ball into the bottom corner to produce an incredible 2-1 victory which was pivotal in qualification for Euro 2024 in Germany.
Scotland Team – Gunn, Hickey, Robertson, Porteous, Hendry, Tierney, McGinn, McGregor, Christie, McTominay, Dykes. Sub – Cooper, Gilmour, McLean, Armstrong, Hyam.
Manager – Steve Clarke
9 Andy Robertson v 2-1 Poland 18/11/24
Scotland had been promoted to League A of the Nations League and after losing their opening three games , 3-2 to Poland at Hampden then 2-1 in Portugal and 2-1 in Croatia bottom spot was almost assured. A 0-0 draw at Hampden against Portugal and a 1-0 win over Croatia with a late John McGinn goal left Scotland needing a win in Poland to avoid automatic relegation.
John McGinn’s early goal gave Scotland the lead for almost an hour before a Polish equaliser, looked to have given them the point they needed. It was captain Andy Robertson who headed home in the 93rd minute to give Scotland a 2-1 win and playoff with Greece , which was subsequently lost.
Scotland Team – Gordon, Ralston, Robertson, Souttar, Hanley, McGinn, McLean, Gilmour, McTominay, Dykes, Gannon-Doak. Sub – Shankland, Christie, Gauld, Devlin, Armstrong.
Manager – Steve Clarke
10 Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean v 4-2 Denmark 18/11/25
Scotland had drawn in Copenhagen 0-0 and then produced wins over Belarus away , Greece at home and Belarus at home in unconvincing fashion. A 3-2 defeat in Athens seemed to have put Scotland in the playoffs for World Cup 2026. Denmark’s surprise 2-2 draw at home to Belarus on the same evening opened the door to a winner takes all class at Hampden, with Denmark only requiring a draw.
Scotland opened brightly and a sensational overhead kick by Scott McTominay opened the scoring for Scotland, from a Ben Doak cross. Doak was injured in the first half and replaced by Kenny McLean. Denmark equalised when a VAR check gave them a penalty. Denmark were reduced to ten men when Nissen was sent off for a second booking. Scotland regained the lead when substitute Lawerence Shankland tapped home a Lewis Ferguson corner. the lead only lasted a short time before Manchester Utd’s Patrick Dorgu equlaised.
Denmark looked as if they had consigned Scotland to the playoffs until three minutes into injury time the ball broke to substitute Kieran Tierney who swept the ball into the Danish net past his Celtic team mate Kasper Schmeichel, and put Scotland into World Cup 2026. Kenny McLean then chipped the ball from halfway into the unguarded net with the last kick of the game, to make the score 4-2.
Scotland Team – Gordon, Hickey, Robertson, Hanley, McKenna, McGinn, Ferguson, Christie, McTominay, Dykes, Gannon-Doak Sub – McLean, Tierney, Adams, Shankland.
Manager – Steve Clarke
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