Scotland came within 15 minutes of beating Italy for the first time in 40 years.

Kenny Miller's early goal had given a packed Hampden Park crowd hope of a result to cherish but substitute Fabio Grosso clawed back a point for the group leaders with a fortuitous equaliser.

The World Cup dream is not yet over for Walter Smith's side however, especially as Belarus lost 2-0 to Moldova, and they can now travel to Norway next week with confidence following this performance.

Not since a young John Greig scored in 1965 had Scotland beaten Italy and although that remains their sole success there was nothing but applause from the Tartan Army on the final whistle for the class of 2005.

The first half was a triumph for the Scots, although they needed a slice of good luck at the start when goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who had been a pre-match injury doubt, blocked from Christian Zaccardo in only the second minute.

But it was soon Miller time and the Wolves man had shown he meant business when he found space in the box to take down a Darren Fletcher pass.

On that occasion he could not get in a shot but sensibly chose to make sure possession was kept, a decision which paid off as his 13th-minute goal followed directly.

Paul Hartley supplied the cross from the right, having been set up by Fletcher, and Miller met it with a glancing header across Angelo Peruzzi having stolen a march on marker Zaccardo.

Hampden erupted and it was soon clear it was no breakaway fluke either.

Hartley had made his Scotland debut in a 2-0 San Siro defeat in March having finally risen above a mediocre club past which had seen him turn out for St Johnstone and Millwall.

The Hearts man showed some Serie A skills on the right and left-back Gianluca Zambrotta was booked in the 21st minute for blocking him cynically.

Scotland skipper Barry Ferguson followed him into Lubos Michel's notebook five minutes later for tugging Francesco Totti back after surrendering possession but Hartley was still the game's outstanding individual.

He was even coming out on top defensively in his duel with Zambrotta, having tracked back to stop the Juventus man getting on the end of a ball into the box.

Nigel Quashie was battling away in the middle and was hurt by a late Rino Gattuso challenge that caught him on a foot.

The Southampton man escaped a booking for a revenge attack on Totti, leeway that Daniele de Rossi was not afforded when he hacked down the former England man in the 35th minute.

Fortune again favoured the Scots in the 37th minute when Vincenzo Iaquinta headed over after de Rossi had headed on at the near post.

Christian Dailly was finding his man-marking role on Totti taxing to the extreme but behind him the back line was holding firm, with Andy Webster making clearances and the veteran David Weir vital challenges to deny Christian Vieri.

The AC Milan striker twice managed to volley goalwards on the turn from Totti chips but was too high with the first and saw Weir block the second.

Marcello Lippi made a change at the break with Grosso replacing Zaccardo and within three minutes Miller had been booked for a late lunge on Gattuso.

Totti fired wide from outside the box before being the next to be booked, in the 52nd minute, for a foul on Ferguson.

Referee Michel was intent on collecting more names and when Dailly fouled Totti in the 54th minute his yellow card meant he would be suspended for Wednesday's game in Oslo.

Italy were stepping up the frequency of their attacks but the game was not yet an hour old before another change was made, with Mauro Camoranesi replacing de Rossi.

There was another let-off for the Scots in the 64th minute and this one dwarfed all the others.

Graham Alexander cheaply surrendered possession just outside his own box to Totti, whose curving ball across the box was met at the back post by Vieri.

The AC Milan striker has 22 international goals to his name but somehow managed to balloon the ball over with only Gordon to beat.

Smith made his first change straight after when it became clear Quashie had a dead leg, with Neil McCann coming on in the 67th minute.

Miller was still full of running and took on and beat Alessandro Nesta until the Italian hauled him back unfairly.

That moment summed up the whole afternoon for the Scots, who had been a side bereft of belief under previous manager Berti Vogts.

It was the Italians who were finding it difficult to rise to the occasion and Gattuso sliced a fair opportunity hopelessly wide.

Totti might have been sent off for thrusting a hand in Weir's face as they leapt for a high ball but on this occasion the Slovakian official awarded only a free-kick.

The Scots' backline was finally breached in the 75th minute when Grosso thumped the ball high into the net at the back post after Fletcher had inadvertently headed a Totti corner towards his own goal.

Gordon had reacted superbly to parry but the ball fell kindly for the substitute to rifle home - via a slight deflection.

Smith sent Craig Beattie on for a debut straight after, with Miller the man withdrawn.

Home hearts were in mouths when Andrea Pirlo lined up a late free-kick but the midfielder, who had scored both goals in Milan from such set-pieces, curled this one wide.

Beattie was booked in the 86th minute for thrusting an arm into Fabio Cannavaro's face, although the Italy skipper had certainly made the most of it.

Teams

Scotland: Gordon, McNamara, Webster, Weir, Alexander, Fletcher, Dailly, Ferguson, Hartley, Quashie, Miller. Subs: Douglas, Caldwell, McFadden, Beattie, Murray, O'Neil, McCann.

Italy: Peruzzi, Zaccardo, Cannavaro, Nesta, Zambrotta, De Rossi, Gattuso, Pirlo, Totti, Vieri, Iaquinta. Subs: De Sanctis, Materazzi, Grosso, Camoranesi, Barone, Toni, Del Piero.

Referee: Michel Lubos (Slovakia)