A goal from Christian Dailly on his international comeback and a clincher from fellow substitute James McFadden kept Scotland's World Cup hopes alive via a 2-0 Hampden Park win over Moldova.

Dailly had not represented his country since April last year and had missed most of the current season through injury.

He had been unavailable for the infamous 1-1 draw in Moldova in October that had cost Berti Vogts his job, watching on television instead with his father, who died of cancer hours later.

He was the perfect man therefore to set up a victory for the Tartan Army to cheer at last in Walter Smith's first home game as the German's successor.

The Scots now head east to take on Belarus in Minsk on Wednesday with a more healthy points total of five from as many games.

The result enabled Smith to become the first Scotland manager since Jock Stein in 1978 to begin with a home win although he had been forced to make four changes from the side that had performed encouragingly in defeat in Italy in March, with goalkeeper Robert Douglas, defenders Gary Naysmith and Gary Caldwell and midfielder Nigel Quashie all missing.

Darren Fletcher's return to fitness was perfectly timed and he took up a position in midfield alongside skipper Barry Ferguson and Paul Hartley.

With Jackie McNamara switched to the left flank to cope with Naysmith's absence there was a recall for Gary Alexander on the right.

Hearts keeper Craig Gordon, who had replaced Douglas during that 2-0 defeat in the San Siro, started, as did club-mate Andy Webster in a three-man defence.

The first 45 minutes were straight out of the Vogts coaching manual however as the Scots huffed and puffed but failed to create much as the Moldovans kept plenty of men behind the ball.

There was no shortage of eagerness but that often showed itself in over-excited long balls from Ferguson or Fletcher that gave Kenny Miller and Lee McCulloch only limited chances of success.

Miller sent an early effort at goalkeeper Evgheni Hmaruc and then another over his bar before McCulloch found the roof of the net with a hooked effort from the edge of the box.

Indeed, the first real chance was created by the Moldovans, who had seen McNamara limp off to be replaced by Dailly in the 26th minute.

Alexander had been switched to the left and failed to stop Ghenadie Olexici planting a cross on to the head of Vadim Boret, who had out-jumped Steven Pressley.

Thankfully Gordon was able to save with little alarm and McCulloch replied with a rasping 25-yarder that flew just wide.

The Scots were able to up the tempo and Serghei Lascencov, the luminous-booted Metallist Kharkov left back, became the centre of attention.

First he was booked in the 33rd minute for up-ending McCulloch on a touchline and then escaped a second yellow for an equally bookable offence on the Wigan man seconds later.

Then he angered the Tartan Army even further by feigning injury as Hartley challenged.

That roused the Scots into a stoppage time flurry that saw both Dailly and McCulloch throw themselves at a fine cross to the back post by Alexander. A defender was also intent on getting to it and it was unclear who had got a touch as the ball ended up bouncing behind, with a goal-kick signalled.

There was time for just one more near miss as Hartley anticipated a chest down in the box by Valeriu Catinsus intended for Hmaruc and the goalkeeper had to make a smart block.

Lascencov was replaced at the break by Alexandru Covalenco in a bid to make sure the Moldovans continued with 11 men.

The away side carved out the first good chance of the second half too but Stanislav Ivanov snatched at Boret's cross from the left and fired over.

Boret was booked in the 51st minute for bringing Dailly down and Miller headed Hartley's free-kick to the near post across goal and agonisingly wide.

The breakthrough was not long in coming however and McCulloch was the man who made it possible with some strong play on the left.

Goalkeeper Hmaruc was hugely at fault however when he could only tip the cross towards his own goal-line and Dailly was on to the loose ball in flash to blast home from unmissable range.

Gordon did well to keep that lead intact however when Serghei Rogaciov fired in a shot on the turn that required a smart diving save.

Hartley was booked for a foul on Iuri Priganiuc which means he will miss the Belarus game having also been booked in Milan.

Moldova sent on playmaker Serghei Covaliciuc, the Scots' tormentor in Chisinau, for Valeriu Catinsus on the hour having been forced to be more adventurous and the eastern Europeans were a team transformed.

A chance fell to Serghei Rogaciov when he was fouled in the D by Steven Pressley but the striker could only find the wall with the free-kick.

McFadden replaced McCulloch with 16 minutes remaining and there was a late scare when Olexici stabbed a good chance just wide from a position in front of goal.

The same player then fired into the side-netting as the Scots lived dangerously until McFadden wrapped up the points by firing past Hmaruc off Priganiuc following a powerful run by Miller.


Teams:

Scotland Gordon, Weir, Pressley, Webster, Alexander, Fletcher, Ferguson, Hartley, McNamara (Dailly 26), Kenny Miller, McCulloch (McFadden 74).



Moldova Hmaruc, Savinov, Olexici, Catinsus (Covalciuc 60), Lascencov (Covalenco 45), Epureanu, Priganiuc, Ivanov, Boret, Dadu, Rogachev (Frunza 82).



Ref: Eric Braamhaar (Holland).