Panucci breaks Scots hearts

Panucci: Dramatic late winner

Related links

Teams

• Italy
• Scotland

Also see

• McLeish - Decision cost us
• McFadden 'gutted' after loss
• Donadoni joy at win

Christian Panucci crushed Scotland's Euro 2008 dream as his injury-time header secured Italy a 2-1 win at Hampden Park.

Scotland endured a nightmare start in their final qualifier, with Luca Toni pouncing inside the opening two minutes for the world champions.

Antonio Di Natale had a goal harshly ruled out for offside before David Weir's header was cleared off the line at the end of the first half.

The Scots deservedly drew level on 64 minutes when Barry Ferguson bundled home from close range after Lee McCulloch's shot had been spilled by Gianluigi Buffon.

James McFadden then wasted two golden opportunities to send Scotland through before Panucci headed beyond Craig Gordon in the first minute of stoppage-time.

The result means Italy and France take the two places in Austria and Switzerland next summer, and Scotland are left to reflect on what might have been.

Explosive

Fireworks marked the arrival of both teams onto the pitch, but were nothing compared to the explosive start from the Italians as they surged into the lead with less than two minutes on the clock and Scotland suffered the worst possible opening to the game.

Gianluca Zambrotta spotted Di Natale lurking, unmarked in the box, and picked him out with a throw-in as the Scotland defence were caught napping. Di Natale swept into the path of Toni who delicately flicked into the top left corner from the six-yard line.

Stunned, the home side almost conceded a second goal 60 seconds later. This time, Toni turned provider and his cut-back was met by Mauro Camoranesi who fired over from close range as Hampden breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Clearly still hungry for more, Toni then shrugged off two blue jerseys before drawing a decent save from Craig Gordon with a well-struck effort that the goalkeeper did well to block at the near post.

At the other end, Scotland were denied the opportunity to haul themselves back into the match when a thunderous drive from Lee McCulloch appeared to be handled by Zambrotta inside the area but screams for a penalty were ignored by Spanish referee Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez.

Spurred on by a sense of injustice, the hosts cranked up the pressure on their visitors. Ferguson fired over from a McFadden corner, before Alan Hutton nodded agonisingly wide of the upright following another perfect delivery from the Everton man.

Scotland then produced some wonderful passing football, which culminated in a tight-angled drive from Ferguson, but Gianluigi Buffon dived low to smother. Then came another scare for the home side.

Gordon was forced to pull a save out of the top drawer to deny a point-blank effort from Massimo Ambrosini, before Di Natale rifled the rebound into the back of the net. The assistant referee raised his flag for offside, but television replays suggested the official may have called it wrong.

Only last-gasp defending from the Italians prevented the Scots from grabbing a morale-boosting leveller on the stroke of half-time.

Weir rose above everyone else in a packed box to meet Ferguson's corner and his header appeared to be heading for the top corner before Andrea Pirlo managed to nod off the line.

A free-kick in a dangerous area provided Italy with the chance to start the second half as emphatically as they had started the first when Paul Hartley hauled down Camoranesi just outside the box. Pirlo seized on the chance and looped the ball over the wall but, despite a reputation as a dead-ball specialist, his effort was easily dealt with by Gordon.

Cruel

Instead, it was Scotland who found the back of the net as Hampden erupted with 65 minutes gone.

McFadden's free-kick deflected into the path of McCulloch in front of goal. He was denied by Buffon, but the rebound fell kindly to Ferguson and the captain gratefully rifled home from a couple of yards.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Scott Brown was withdrawn for Miller as Scotland went for broke.

The Derby striker quickly began to cause the Italians problems and delivered a wonderful cross to the feet of McFadden, but the man already regarded as a national hero fired wide when it looked so much easier to leave the net bulging.

Instead, Scotland's impossible dream ended in the cruellest possible way when Italy snatched a last minute goal to secure their own qualification for Euro 2008.

Hutton appeared to be barged over in front of the corner flag, but the referee inexplicably awarded the free-kick the other way and Panucci rose to meet Pirlo's cross and nod home the winner.