European Championship Qualifying
ScotlandScotland6GibraltarGibraltar1

Scotland 6-1 Gibraltar

By Alasdair LamontBBC Scotland at Hampden Park
Steven Fletcher scored a hat-trick for Scotland as they moved onto 10 points in Group D
Steven Fletcher scored a hat-trick for Scotland as they moved onto 10 points in Group D
  • Steven Fletcher hat-trick for Scotland
  • Biggest win since 6-0 against Faroe Islands in 2006
  • Shaun Maloney (2) and Steven Naismith also score
  • Scotland level on 10 points with Poland and Germany

Steven Fletcher scored Scotland's first hat-trick for 46 years as they recorded an emphatic victory over Gibraltar.

Shaun Maloney netted a penalty before Gibraltar stunned Hampden with their first competitive goal.

However, Fletcher restored the lead before Maloney tucked away another penalty and Steven Naismith got Scotland's fourth.

The Scots laboured through the second half until Fletcher headed home and curled in for Scotland's sixth.

That hat-trick - the first since Colin Stein netted four against Cyprus in 1969 - gave Scotland their biggest win since beating the Faroe Islands 6-0 in 2006.

The result means Gordon Strachan's side keep pace with Germany, who beat Georgia 2-0 and, like Scotland, move on to 10 points, with Poland and the Republic of Ireland playing later in the evening.

Strachan had hinted beforehand at a change of system against a team who had conceded 21 and scored none in their four previous competitive fixtures.

And so it proved as he played just one central defender in Russell Martin, opting to load the attacking areas in the quest for goals.

But Scotland found Gibraltar awkward opponents, struggling to find a sufficiently high tempo or a crispness of passing to pick the lock of a well-drilled and stuffy side.

As they began to exert their authority, Fletcher might have had a penalty and moments later Maloney did, using his experience to dangle a trailing leg into the Gibraltar keeper Jamie Robba.

Steven Fletcher hit a hat-trick, the first for Scotland since Colin Stein in 1969
Steven Fletcher hit a hat-trick, the first for Scotland since Colin Stein in 1969

On the say-so of the assistant behind the goal, the referee awarded the spot-kick, which Maloney expertly converted.

Within moments, though, Gibraltar had their landmark goal, as the vulnerable-looking Scotland backline was exposed and Lee Casciaro sent the visiting supporters into raptures with a confident finish past David Marshall.

The Scots persevered, without ever approaching the form they have shown previously under Strachan, and regained the lead when Fletcher ended a six-year wait for an international goal by heading a loose ball past Robba.

Only then did Gibraltar begin to lose some of their shape and when Naismith was clipped in the box by Casciaro, Maloney scored his fourth goal of the campaign from the spot.

Naismith made it four before the break, side-footing in from an Ikechi Anya cross to put a gloss on the scoreline that did not necessarily reflect a lacklustre performance.

The same could be said for the second-half display as Gibraltar refused to collapse, but Fletcher's late interventions - the first a header from Jordan Rhodes' cross, the second a cool, curling finish from the edge of the box - won him the match-ball.

The result ensured Scotland head to Dublin in June in buoyant mood, for what could be a pivotal meeting with the Republic of Ireland in the quest to reach Euro 2016.

Lee Casciaro's goal sparked wild celebrations for Gibraltar, their first competitive goal
Lee Casciaro's strike sparked wild celebrations for Gibraltar, their first competitive goal
Steven Fletcher scored the first of his hat-trick to restore Scotland's lead
Steven Fletcher scored the first of his hat-trick to restore Scotland's lead
Shaun Maloney scored two first-half penalties for Scotland
Shaun Maloney scored two first-half penalties for Scotland
Glasgow-born Gibraltar coach David Wilson gets a hug from his father after the game
Glasgow-born Gibraltar coach David Wilson gets a hug from his father after the game

Line-ups

Scotland

Formation 3-4-1-2

  • 1Marshall
  • 2Hutton
  • 5Martin
  • 3Robertson
  • 4RitchieSubstituted forGreerat 45'minutes
  • 8Brown
  • 7Morrison
  • 11AnyaSubstituted forBannanat 74'minutes
  • 6Maloney
  • 9Fletcher
  • 10NaismithSubstituted forRhodesat 66'minutes

Substitutes

  • 12Gordon
  • 13Russell
  • 14Greer
  • 15Bannan
  • 16McArthur
  • 17May
  • 18Rhodes
  • 19Fletcher
  • 20Forsyth
  • 21McGregor
  • 22Berra
  • 23Forrest

Gibraltar

Formation 4-5-1

  • 13Robba
  • 2Wiseman
  • 4ArtellSubstituted forGarciaat 54'minutes
  • 5Casciaro
  • 3Chipolina
  • 7Casciaro
  • 8Payas
  • 6ChipolinaSubstituted forGoslingat 74'minutes
  • 17BardonSubstituted forDuarteat 82'minutes
  • 10Walker
  • 15Priestley

Substitutes

  • 1Perez
  • 9Casciaro
  • 11Gosling
  • 14Sergeant
  • 16Perez
  • 18Duarte
  • 19Duarte
  • 20Garcia
  • 21Bosio
  • 22Jolley
  • 23Coleing
Referee:
Mattias Gestranius

Match Stats

Home TeamScotlandAway TeamGibraltar
Possession
Home73%
Away27%
Shots
Home20
Away5
Shots on Target
Home12
Away2
Corners
Home6
Away2
Fouls
Home7
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Scotland 6, Gibraltar 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Scotland 6, Gibraltar 1.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Liam Walker (Gibraltar) left footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the right. Assisted by Jean Carlos Garcia.

  4. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jordan Rhodes (Scotland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Morrison.

  5. Post update

    Attempt missed. James Morrison (Scotland) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Alan Hutton.

  6. Post update

    Attempt missed. Steven Fletcher (Scotland) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Barry Bannan following a set piece situation.

  7. Post update

    Barry Bannan (Scotland) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Lee Casciaro (Gibraltar).

  9. Post update

    Russell Martin (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Joseph Chipolina (Gibraltar).

  11. Post update

    Corner, Gibraltar. Conceded by David Marshall.

  12. Post update

    Attempt saved. Joseph Chipolina (Gibraltar) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Liam Walker.

  13. Goal!

    Goal! Scotland 6, Gibraltar 1. Steven Fletcher (Scotland) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Barry Bannan.

  14. Post update

    Corner, Scotland. Conceded by Jamie Robba.

  15. Post update

    Attempt saved. Barry Bannan (Scotland) left footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the top centre of the goal.

  16. Post update

    Alan Hutton (Scotland) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Daniel Duarte (Gibraltar).

  18. Post update

    Offside, Scotland. Jordan Rhodes tries a through ball, but Steven Fletcher is caught offside.

  19. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jordan Rhodes (Scotland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Steven Fletcher.

  20. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Sunday 29th March 2015

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Czech Rep5410116513
2Iceland54011221012
3Netherlands521211657
4Turkey512268-25
5Latvia5032211-93
6Kazakhstan5014413-91

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Wales532072511
2Israel43019549
3Belgium4220121118
4Cyprus5203910-16
5Bos-Herze512256-15
6Andorra5005220-180

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Slovakia5500112915
2Spain54011431112
3Ukraine53026249
4Belarus5113410-64
5North Macedonia5104512-73
6Luxembourg5014314-111

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Poland53201631311
2Germany531194510
3Scotland5311115610
4Republic of Ireland522111478
5Georgia510449-53
6Gibraltar5005127-260

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England55001511415
2Slovenia530210469
3Switzerland530211389
4Lithuania5203310-76
5Estonia511315-44
6San Marino5014017-171

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Romania541071613
2Northern Ireland540184412
3Hungary52214318
4Finland511357-24
5Faroe Islands510427-53
6Greece502315-42

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Austria5410102813
2Sweden52307349
3Football Union of Russia41216335
4Montenegro41213215
5Liechtenstein5113111-104
6Moldova501428-61

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Croatia54101521313
2Italy532084411
3Norway530278-19
4Bulgaria512267-15
5Azerbaijan5104411-73
6Malta501419-81

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Portugal43014229
2Denmark42116427
3Albania421145-17
4Serbia41126601
5Armenia401336-31
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