Kerkhoven puts Belgium ahead in Brussels Kerkhoven scores the opener for Belgium Kerkhoven celebrates scoring for Belgium Vanderhaeghe jumps up to head the ball   Goor wrestles for control of the ball with Lambert     Sullivan and Lambert are devastated when Belgium score their second   Deflandre celebrates their victory with Wilmots Brown walks off the pitch under a cloud Scotland have seen their World Cup hopes dashed Dodds | Booth Elliott towers over Wilmots | Matteo holds off Wilmots Scotland fans realise their World Cup dream is over

Goals from Nico Van Kerkhoven and Bart Goor virtually ended Scotland's World Cup dream in Brussels and could hasten the end of Craig Brown's tenure as manager. The Scots suffered the agony of what looked like a justifiable penalty claim being turned down - and with it their best chance to equalise.

But they did little to suggest that they deserve to be in Korea and Japan in a match in which they failed to put one attempt on target. With Croatia beating San Marino, only a mathematical miracle could give Craig Brown's side the lifeline of a place in the play-offs.

Billy Dodds had replaced Scott Booth, while Tom Boyd replaced the suspended Neil McCann from the Scotland side that drew with Croatia on Saturday.

Plenty of early possession

Belgium received a pre-match boost when their inspirational captain, Marc Wilmots, was declared fit to play in the game. In-form Genk striker Wesley Sonck was chosen ahead of Bob Peeters and made his presence felt immediately with his sharpness.

Scotland had plenty of early possession but did not have Sonck's electric change of pace to break down the Belgian defence.

The tight marking was exemplified by Eric van Meir's tackle from behind on Don Hutchison and that earned the Belgian defender a booking.

Wilmots was the danger man, and in the 17th minute the midfielder's long range volley took a deflection off Sonck and flew just past the post.

A mix up in the Scottish defence almost allowed the Belgians in while Gary Naysmith was off the field with a twisted ankle.

Christian Dailly headed the ball against Dominic Matteo, Sonck's head beat jumping goalkeeper Neil Sullivan but the ball slipped wide.

Promising position

Belgium finally made their more incisive play tell after 27 minutes. None of Scotland's three-man defence followed Sonck as he picked the ball up 30 yards out. The striker played the ball in behind Boyd and the breaking Van Kerkhoven slipped it past the advancing Sullivan.

Dailly then gave away possession to Eric Deflandre on the right, Johan Walem touched the cross back to Gert Verheyen, who fired over from a promising position, Sullivan getting a vital touch. Verheyen had another chance early in the second half but blasted over from the edge of the box after a clever dummy by Sonck.

Brown brought on Booth for Boyd as Scotland adopted a more attacking formation, with three strikers. Booth immediately caused problems and won a corner from which a Matt Elliott header flew a few feet over as Scotland's first goal attempt came after 59 minutes.

Angry protests

Scotland should have had a penalty seven minutes later. Hutchison put Booth clear in the box and Glen De Boeck appeared to pull down the Twente Enschede striker as he was poised to pull the trigger. But the Spanish referee waved away the angry protests from the Scots.

Verheyen sent a header against the post, Goor was just wide with a drive then Sullivan blocked well from Walem as Scotland left gaps at the back. Belgium finally grabbed their second in injury time when Wilmots set up Goor after an incisive break.

Belgium: de Vlieger, Deflandre, De Boeck, Van Meir, Van Kerkhoven, Verheyen, Vanderhaege, Walem, Goor, Wilmots, Sonck.

Subs: Herpoel, Boffin, Crasson, Simons, Bob Peeters, Jacky Peeters, Hendrikx.

Scotland: Sullivan, Dailly, Elliott, Weir, Boyd, Burley, Lambert, Matteo, Naysmith, Hutchison, Dodds.

Subs: Paul Gallacher, Nicholson, McNamara, Gemmill, Cameron, Booth, Crawford.

Referee: M Gonzalez (Spain).

BBC Sport Online's Colin Moffat tastes the atmosphere in the King Badouin Stadium as the Tartan Army continue to sing when they are losing after Scotland's 2-0 defeat by Belgium.

Scotland's World Cup dreams fizzled out in Brussels, but the visitors came out on top in the vocal-backing battle. Celtic rock versus bland Euro-pop. No contest.

The 12,000 or so Scots in the crowd sung their hearts out from start to finish, easily outdoing the home support and even managing to compete with a public address system that could be heard in neighbouring Holland.

Young and old, men and women, Scots from every part of the country and members of the Caledonian diaspora all gathered to get behind their favourites - and make one hell of a din.

The traditional Tartan Army kilts, inflatable Loch Ness monsters and See-you Jimmy bunnets were out in force and there were so many Rod Stewart look-a-likes it was impossible to spot the real cheeky little cockney rebel among the throng.

One group of attractive young women particularly impressed by all sporting very fashionable 'Craig Brown's Teenage Dirt-bag's' t-shirts.

One group had gone to the trouble of translating a favourite anthem about the sexual practices of Jimmy Hill on a banner in French.

Many beers were consumed outside the impressive King Badouin Stadium as the footballing ambassadors of two hard-drinking nations mixed amiably and swapped daft hats.

As the bus carrying members of the press made its slow progress through the boozy throng, the hacks on board were greeted with a chorus of boos and a chorus of 'free-loading b......s'.

Daily Record scribe and sometime Radio Scotland analyst, Jim Traynor, appeared to take the brunt of the good-humoured abuse.

The stadium officials won't have to bother cleaning the seats in the Scottish section.

Everyone stood, or rather bounced, their way through the 90 minutes.

However, the athletics track surrounding the pitch meant that much of the noise drifted skywards before reaching the players.

'Flower of Scotland' got several airings, but you'd think by now the fans would have learned the second verse.

Tense silence

The rest of the songs were a little more straightforward.

The Belgians, by contrast, sat in tense silence for the opening stages.

But, when Nico van Kerkhoven fired them in front, an impressive blast of noise rippled round the ground. Some of the locals even stood up to clap.

The travelling support pumped up the volume for the start of the second half in a bid to spur on the boys in blue.

But, as the Scotland team continued to huff and puff, making little headway, the Saltires began to sag slightly.

Those in tartan were roused again when substitute Scott Booth tumbled in the penalty area, but their cries could not influence the man with the whistle.

The dying minutes were a cue for the defiant, yet melancholy strains of 'We'll support you ever more'.

The chance for the Tartan Army getting to Korea and Japan next summer has almost certainly gone and the party will be just that little bit poorer for their absence.