Kenny Miller failed to find the net when it mattered most as Scotland returned from Belarus with the goalless draw which means their World Cup dreams are now all but over.

The Scots had to win to make the most of an end-of-season double header, having beaten Moldova at the weekend.

Victory would have taken them above Belarus and, more significantly, to within a point of both Norway and Slovenia.

Now it seems that one of those nations will be jousting in the play-offs for a ticket to the World Cup finals next summer; the Scots remain second from bottom in group five having won just once in six qualifiers.

Miller has been a prolific scorer with Wolves in the English Championship but made little headway in the Premiership in the 2003/04 season.

In the Dinamo Stadium his finishing was again just short of what was required, being denied by the Belarus goalkeeper when he had to find the net from Scotland's one and only clear chance early in the second half.

Italy are up next and the Scots may have to win three out of four of their final fixtures - if not all four - to have any chance of overhauling their rivals.

Given that Scotland were without 10 regular squad members before kick-off and had fears over the fitness of four who were able to start, the first half represented a successful containing exercise by the men in blue.

With Miller largely isolated as the lone frontman, Belarus were given license to attack and took up the invitation.

Sergei Kornilenko volleyed a good chance over in only the third minute as the Scots found possession difficult to keep.

Home skipper Sergei Gurenko was also too high with a long-range strike and there was plenty of defending for the Scots to do after that as free-kicks and corners were conceded far too regularly for the Tartan Army's liking.

But the Scots eventually put together a passing game of their own, having failed to make an impression with a couple of set-pieces.

After Steven Pressley had been booked on the half-hour mark for clattering Vitali Bulyga, a one-two between Gary Caldwell and Darren Fletcher almost put the Manchester United man in.

Pressley's booking means he now misses the Italy game in September through suspension.

The home side's star midfielder Alexander Hleb had little impact on the game himself but the Stuttgart man, linked with a Premiership move this summer, showed his ability by latching onto a half-cleared corner and motoring into a packed box with Miller trailing.

Fortunately for Scotland his finish was of lower league standard and that was also the case when Bulyga found Valentin Belkevich at the back post. Saturday's scorer against Slovenia volleyed well over, to Scotland's relief.

Bulyga was at fault when Hleb produced a defence-splitting pass to put him in; his first touch was woeful and David Weir slid in to clear.

Christian Dailly, starting in place of the injured Jackie McNamara at right wing-back, was booked in the for fouling Bulyga on the left of the box.

The free-kick was whipped across the face of the goal but no-one could get a touch.

Neither side made changes at the break and Kornilenko fired a low drive at goalkeeper Craig Gordon soon after the restart.

Sergei Yaskovich was booked in the 48th minute for fouling Miller and Dailly sent Caldwell's free-kick just wide with a back header.

A great chance came Miller's way in the 52nd minute, just as it had in Italy in March, but the result was the same.

Fletcher had put him through but goalkeeper Yury Zhevnov made a vital block.

Fletcher collected the loose ball and Lee McCulloch bundled the ball into the net, but Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca signalled that the goalkeeper had been fouled.

Gordon then matched his counterpart's fine save from Miller by diving to his left and palming away Gurenko's long-range effort just before the hour mark.

The Scots were under immense pressure, but they resisted. Then Belarus sent on Hleb's younger brother Viachaslau on for Timofei Kalachev.

The newcomer was an immediate threat, running at defenders and forcing an immediate corner from which former Stoke player Sergei Shtanuk headed over.

The younger Hleb was causing all sorts of problems and his next surge finished with a pull back for Bulyga who fired tamely at Gordon when a goal seemed inevitable.

Pressley did well to block out the elder Hleb, Alexander, at the expense of a corner after Caldwell had carelessly surrendered possession in his own box.

James McFadden was sent on with 13 minutes remaining, with the tiring McCulloch withdrawn, but the Everton man could not replicate his late goal against Moldova.

Gordon beat away Sergei Omelianchuk's fierce drive and was back on his feet in an instant to prevent Kornilenko from slotting home the rebound.

Graham Alexander, who had taken a pain-killing injection on a toe injury to play, almost gave the Scots the goal they had craved when Miller passed the ball back to him on the edge of the box.

The Preston man struck the ball well but it was deflected just over.

A series of corners followed and this time it was Belarus who had to hang on, but the final whistle diminished both nations' chances of being in Germany next summer.

Belarus: Zhevnov, Kalachev (Vjatscheslaw Hleb 61), Yaskovich, Omelianchuk, Shtanuk, Gurenko, Kovba, Belkevich, Bulyga (Kulchy 86), Aleksander Hleb, Kornilenko.
Subs Not Used: Khomutovsky, Tarlovsky, Ostrovski, Cheljadinskij, Sascheko.

Booked: Yaskovich.

Scotland: Gordon, Weir, Pressley, Webster, Gary Caldwell, Dailly, Fletcher, Ferguson, Alexander, McCulloch (McFadden 76), Kenny Miller.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Steven Caldwell, Thompson, Murray, Riordan, Lee Miller.

Booked: Pressley, Dailly.


Referee: M Bartolo (Por)