Two late goals denied Scotland the morale-boosting victory they craved ahead of next month's World Cup showdown with Italy.

Austria hit back twice in the final seven minutes to earn a 2-2 friendly draw in Graz after Kenny Miller and Garry O'Connor had given Walter Smith's side a 2-0 half-time lead.

Away wins are still rare for the Scots, who have nonetheless restored a reputation that was well and truly tarnished under previous manager Berti Vogts, who had arranged this friendly before being ousted.

They came close to nicking it in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium - the actor hails from Graz - but in the end were pegged back by strikes in the final seven minutes by substitutes Andreas Ibertsberger and Joachim Standfest.

The Italy game at Hampden on September 3 is closely followed by a trip to Norway and points must be taken from both fixtures if the World Cup dream is to remain a long-shot possibility.

For that to happen then goals must be scored and at long last Miller looks the part.

Previous internationals had been difficult for the striker, who had been asked to play up front on his own.

That restricted him to just one good chance a match and, in Italy and then Belarus, he had failed to beat the goalkeeper at crucial points in each qualifier.

It took the Wolves man just three minutes to put that behind him when he put the Scots ahead in emphatic fashion.

The fit-again Nigel Quashie won possession in midfield and immediately sent Miller away. The flag stayed down and Miller rounded goalkeeper Helge Payer with aplomb before slotting into the empty net from a tight angle.

Wolves manager Glenn Hoddle had declared he is keen for the player to come off the transfer list as soon as possible and his lively performance also justified the faith Smith had placed in him.

Smith had also opted to give Miller a partner for this match, mindful that a fair amount of criticism had come the frontman's way over the past few months.

Paul Dickov was his original choice but a thigh injury ended up ruling the Blackburn man out at the last minute.

That merely opened the door for O'Connor and he made the most of his opportunity to notch his first goal for Scotland at senior level, in his fifth international.

The Hibernian striker, who had been thrown in at the deep end by previous manager Berti Vogts when just 18, latched on to a ball from Brian O'Neil in the 39th minute and lashed a low drive from the edge of the D that caught the flat-footed payer napping and snaked into his bottom right-hand corner.

The Scots' organisation and ability to keep the ball for periods was a far cry from the last time the two sides played, a disaster at Hampden Park two years ago when Austria had won 2-0 at a canter.

This time it was Hans Krankl who had his head in his hands in the dugout, not least when Christian Mayrleb missed an absolute sitter straight after O'Connor's goal by somehow firing wide from six yards out after Ivica Vastic had set him up.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon made saves from a number of red-shirted players and other efforts fizzed just wide, with the Scots also having to repel an inordinate amount of free-kicks awarded by fussy referee Selcuk Dereli.

The Scots also had other chances before the break, with Miller forcing Payer into a flying save with a venomous 20-yarder.

Steven Caldwell, who was winning only his sixth cap, came close with two headers from set-pieces, somehow heading one wide from virtually under the crossbar.

Payer paid the price for his error at the break, being replaced by Andreas Schranz and the Scots made four changes.

Miller, O'Neil, Gordon and Steven Pressley were the men taken off to give Derek Riordan a debut and allow Scott Severin, Robert Douglas and Russell Anderson to make comebacks.

The Austrians made a succession of changes but when newcomers Sanel Kuljic and Muhammet Akagunduz combined to open up the Scots defence in the 67th minute the latter fired just wide.

More substitutions continued and Standfest scooped a good chance over under pressure from Graham Alexander.

The game began to turn Austria's way seven minutes from time when Ibertsberger netted from long range, although he needed a hefty deflection off the head of Anderson to leave Douglas stranded.

Standfest drew the home side level in the 87th minute when Douglas, who swapped Celtic for Leicester in the summer, found a drive from Andreas Ivanschitz too hot to handle and the number 15 gleefully slotted home the rebound.


Teams


Austria Payer (Schranz 46), Gercaliu, Dospel (Standfest 54), Pogatetz, Ehmann, Aufhauser, Schopp (Ibertsberger 68), Kuhbauer (Saumel 77), Mayrleb (Kuljic 66), Ivanschitz, Vastic (Akagunduz 66).

Subs Not Used: Feldhofer.


Scotland Gordon (Douglas 46), Pressley (Anderson 46), Webster, Caldwell, McNamara, Dailly, O'Neil (Severin 46), Quashie (Richard Hughes 73), Alexander, O'Connor, Miller (Riordan 46).

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Beattie.


Ref: Selcuk Dereli (Turkey).