Next stop Buenos Aires

Wales v Scotland, 12-Oct-77

Mike Aitken


Wales 0
Scotland 2 Masson, Dalglish

Scotland are on their way to Argentina. At the end of a violently emotional night in Liverpool, nothing else really much matters. "Que, sera sera. We're going to Argentine," sang the tartan hordes and if the grammar might have been faulted the passion of their words was fitting nonetheless.

To be fair on the gallant Welsh though, Scotland were just a shade lucky on the night. They tied up their World Cup qualifying group to ensure they will be the only British side in South America next year with a 2-0 victory at Anfield which for long spells never looked on the cards.

It took a needless and incomprehensible concession of a penalty 12 minutes from time to break the deadlock. Dave Jones handled in the box and the memory of that incident will haunt this particular Welshman for the rest of his footballing days.

Don Masson made an expert job of the spot kick and the game was Scotland's. With the Welsh utterly dispirited, Kenny Dalglish added an outstanding second goal with his head to add a dash of verve to the performance.

But, make no mistake about it, before the Welsh gave away that penalty they had looked to be in charge of the game, quite able of taking a point that would have made the last match against the Czechs such a decisive one. Now that is an utterly meaningless encounter.

Mahoney, Flynn and Yorath were quite magnificent in midfield. They sent the game Toshack and fleeting Sayer into deep and dangerous positions and at one point only a breath-taking save from Rough kept Scotland on level terms.

The match, as I said, seemed destined to end in a goalless stalemate until fittingly Masson, our best player, stroked that penalty kick home.

In a dour but always exciting match Scotland were something of a disappointment after their heady showing in beating the Czechs at Hampden.

But, at any rate, we can dwell on how magnificently Scotland have played overall in their section and everything else matters little now except that Scotland are going at Argentina, What better stage after all could we have to regain our silky touch than in the World Cup finals themselves?

Anfield was Scotland's from the start. The incredible "tartan army" had taken over the ground and effectively turned the game into a home tie for Scotland.

That was bad news for the Welsh and their manager, Mike Smith, but there was even worse tidings for him when Roberts, a central defender, failed a late fitness test. He was thought to have pulled a ham-string muscle and was replaced by David Jones of Norwich.

The Welsh must have felt about as much at home as a leek in a bowl of Scotch broth. When the teams were led out their captain, Terry Yorath, went round all his players exorting them to maximum effort but there was no doubt that a psychological advantage had been handed to Scotland by the nature of the crowd.

Scotland forced three quick corners in succession after Phillips had initially cleared ineffectively from Jardine header. The Welsh, however, survived the onslaught of the first minute. Then Dalglish was sent racing clear through the middle but he dithered in the penalty area.

In the fourth minute a clever piece of running down the right by Jordan gave Dalglish another chance but his shot was blocked. From the rebound a clever Macari flick allowed Dalglish once more the chance of a head flick which went agonisingly close.

A foul by Jones on Jordan had the big striker in some pain but he was able to continue.

A good header in the box from Gordon McQueen after eight minutes brought claims for a penalty when Jones appeared to handle. The referee was having none of it.

Nor was he having anything to do with another claim three minutes later. An extraordinary mistake by Welsh defender, David Jones, allowed Dalglish to run through on his own into the box. After colliding with the goalkeeper, Dalglish stopped and appealed for a penalty instead of finishing the job. The referee denied the claim and the chance was lost.

It was all happening around the Welsh goal and when goalkeeper Davies made a terrible hash of things by dropping the ball inside his own area, another chance went begging when Macari’s low drive across goal wasn't picked up by a Scots forward.


Scotland might well have been two up in the first 20 minutes. Yet if they thought it was all going to go their way a sweet header from John Toshack seemed a timely reminder that the Welsh threat was substantial.

First a Toshack drive which didn't have quite enough power in it went close enough to disturb Rough. Mike Thomas, the replacement for James, had a worthwhile effort from the edge of the box which was almost in the postage stamp corner. Then Peter Sayer, from the other wing, had a useful crack from 20 yards.

In the 35th minute Scotland had their own share of indecision in defence when Jardine and Forsyth got involved in an awful mix-up that might well have resulted in a Welsh goal.

As half-time approached all the early confidence of the Scots seemed to be snapped. A number of heavy fouls had rendered Jordan most ineffective; Willie Johnston wasn't seeing the ball at all on the left touch-line; and Dalglish was in prodigal mood.

The captain, Masson, tried hard to get the side going. One chip of his from midfield over the heads of the Welsh defence was an absolute delight. Scotland, though, simply were not getting men forward in sufficient numbers and the Welsh ended the half looking much the more likely side to score.

Scotland needed to get the ball wide in the second half as the Welsh had done successfully towards the end of the first through Sayer and Thomas. Much Scottish effort had been wasted through the middle where Yorath and the Welsh central defenders had been extremely competent.

Willie Donachie was booked in the 46th minute for a foul on Mahoney. He was also booked in Prague in Scotland's first World Cup match and that means he faces an automatic one match ban from FIFA in the competition.

Scotland contributed their best moves for some time in 50 minutes when a flick from Dalglish sent Hartford running. He touched on to Johnston who kicked a very dangerous ball well into the middle which the Welsh were happy to clear.

Peter Sayer gave Alan Rough a nasty moment, the 54th, when his cross turned into a shot and the goalkeeper almost let it slip through his hands.

In 57 minutes Sandy Jardine went off the field after taking a heavy knock and he was replaced by Martin Buchan, out of position, of course, at right back.

Almost immediately after the substitution, Wales came desperately close to taking the lead. Yorath had banged a ball into the Scottish area and it rebounded to Jones. He then fed John Toshack who let go a beautiful dipping shot which Rough brilliantly managed to get a finger to and touch on to the bar and then over to safety.

Yorath became the second player of the night to be shown the yellow card when he was booked for a foul on Tom Forsyth.

In 68 minutes it was Scotland's turn to go so close to scoring. A Masson corner, which was met by Dalglish looked net bound until Davies produced an extraordinary reflex save. The danger though wasn't cleared for some time as extraordinary scenes took place along the Welsh goal-line and Gordon McQueen getting in a second header that looked to have goal written all over it but somehow the Welsh defence remained intact.

Then Joe Jordan had a glorious chance to score after a Johnston cross had been touched on by Masson into space but the big striker shot over the bar.

Wales made a substitution in 75 minutes when they sent on Deacy for Sayer.

Almost unbelievably all the Welsh effort and enthusiasm went for naught on the night when Scotland scored twelve minutes from time. A Willie Johnston throw-in was needlessly handled in the box by David Jones, the latecomer into the side. The referee awarded a penalty without hesitation.

Don Masson, the Scotland captain, and the scorer of a penalty goal in Argentina itself, ironically, this summer, stepped up and stroked the ball past Davies to set Scotland on the road to the World Cup finals in Argentina next year.

Then, in the 88th minute to complete the Welsh misery and to set the Scots to glorious victory, Dalglish scored a glorious second on his own ground. Buchan provided the cross and Dalglish the flying header which made the score-line a rather more respectable one for Scotland.

• From The Scotsman of 13/10/77