Scott McTominay's free-kick was disallowed for offside in controversial circumstances; Scotland vice-captain John McGinn accuses officials of changing their reasoning for disallowing 'opener' in 2-0 defeat to Spain in Seville; Draw would have seen Tartan Army qualify for Euro 2024 finals
Friday 13 October 2023 09:41, UK
Scotland boss Steve Clarke believes there is "no way in the world" Scott McTominay's free-kick against Spain would have been stopped after it was disallowed for offside due to Jack Hendry interfering with play.
Clarke saw his side's perfect run of five straight wins ended by late heartbreak in Seville, with Alvaro Morata and Oihan Sancet giving the hosts a 2-0 victory in Thursday night's European Qualifier after McTominay's free-kick had been controversially ruled out by VAR in the 60th minute.
There was confusion around the decision when the screens in the stadium said the goal had been disallowed due to a foul by Hendry on goalkeeper Unai Simon before UEFA later clarified he was instead offside and interfering with play.
"At the time, we think it is a goal," said Clarke, whose side would have secured qualification with a draw. "You know when the referee gets told to look at it, he is probably going to chalk it off. They have made the call, there is no point in me going on about it.
"I think there was a little bit of confusion at the time, whether it was offside or for a foul on the keeper.
"If you take those two together, Jack Hendry was marginally offside and when he steps towards the goalkeeper, they have interpreted that as Jack being involved in the play but I will tell you now there is no way in the world the
keeper was saving that, no matter where Jack Hendry was.
"You just move on. It is a VAR decision that goes against you. When we conceded, it makes it more difficult and the second goal puts gloss on for Spain I don't think they deserve."
Scotland can still reach next year's European Championship should Spain pick up at least a point in their next Group A qualifying game, away to third-placed Norway in Oslo on Sunday.
They will have the chance to do it themselves against Georgia and Norway next month and Clarke was once again pleased with the performance of his ever-improving side.
"We came here to show that we were a good team and I think tonight we showed that," Clarke said.
"Tonight was the first chance to qualify, maybe the result on Sunday night goes in our favour and we can qualify from that. But we don't qualify because of that result, we qualify because of the work we've done to have 15 points from six games.
"That's why we will qualify if a result goes our way over the weekend. If it doesn't go our way and Norway win, then we have a very realistic chance for the two games in November to win this section and that's what we'll focus on.
"We can be pleased with how we performed but the lads are really disappointed that we've lost the game because we didn't come here to lose."
The Scotland manager added it was too early to give a diagnosis on the severity of the shoulder injury suffered by captain and Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, who was forced off using his shirt as a makeshift sling shortly before half-time.
"It always seems to happen when you lose one player in a position," he said. "We lose Kieran [Tierney] then, Andy picks up a shoulder injury.
"We'll see how it is and how it settles down. Hopefully, he's good for his club as soon as possible and ready to help us in November."
During the match, Clarke had urged his players to remain calm amid the controversy of McTominay's disallowed goal although at the time John McGinn was confused as to why it hadn't been awarded.
Speaking to Viaplay, vice-captain McGinn said: "He changed it in-game, which was a frustrating thing. It shows it's not clear and obvious.
"At that moment, Jack makes a decision to step the other side. Is he going to save it? No chance, absolutely no chance.
"At first he says it's a foul, then he changes it to an offside when he realises it's not a foul.
"It's a hammer blow. That qualifies us, that goal. They need to score two. I feel for big Scott [McTominay], but sometimes these things go for you and tonight it was never going to.
"We can't be too disappointed. We wanted to qualify tonight and we were capable of it. We don't want other teams to do it, we want to do it ourselves.
"The big moments went against us. There's no doubt we can still improve but we put in some shift.
"We knew a point would get us there, and it's a really tough one to take with a sore blow losing Robbo so early.
"Then thinking we're ahead, that going against us, we regrouped but they scored the opener - maybe we can defend that better but it's a tough one to take.
"We competed for long spells, it's tough to win here but in the circumstances, it was near enough impossible.
"Everyone watching that game from a Scotland point of view, on the pitch, in the stand, in the dugout, it felt like we weren't going to get a decision.
"50-50 balls, going in for fair challenges and not getting them, it made it extremely difficult against a world-class team to get anything.
"You need a perfect performance to win here, and it was never going to happen."
Former Scotland international David Marshall on Sky Sports News:
"It is an unbelievable free-kick into the top corner, but Hendry is standing half a yard offside and is interfering with the 'keeper unfortunately.
"That is a huge let-off for Spain, but it will give Scotland huge confidence.
"It is a foul, he affects Simon's positioning, he runs across him and makes a tiny bit of contact, but he affects the 'keeper and is standing in an offside position when it happens, so they cannot have any complaints, but it is very unfortunate.
"It has been an incredible effort, Spain dominated possession, they had three or four clear-cut chances during the game.
"Scotland had a couple of chances, and the disallowed goal in the second half, but Spain are a top European side, especially in their back garden, it is a tough place for anyone to go.
"Scotland are still in a good position to win the group, but a couple of lapses of concentration and an unlucky slip by Hickey cost them the second goal.
"It was always going to be a tough night, but they equipped themselves well, dug in, managed to get themselves through the first half, but that domination of possession that Spain had eventually told in the end.
"Everybody would have snapped your hand off for the position they are currently in. It would have been great to get to Germany tonight, but I've no doubt Scotland will be there, whether it be this weekend, or next month.
"Steve has built a great squad, with great belief to come here and defend really well and they were unfortunate not to take the lead tonight and it would have been interesting to see how the game would have gone then.
"Plenty of positives though and let's see how Spain and Norway get on at the weekend..."
Scotland defender Scott McKenna on Viaplay:
"It's disappointing, when we score that goal I don't think there was too much in it for it to be disallowed. If that stays as a goal, it changes the game massively in our favour.
"We quietened their crowd, and disallowing the goal gave them a lift and let them come back to it.
"Aaron [Hickey] has been brilliant since he's come in for us, it's unfortunate. [Ryan] Porteous just about bails him out but the clearance hits their man and goes in.
"It's still in our hands to top the group, there's a couple of games next month and if we win them, we'll do that.
"Obviously there's a game this weekend between Spain and Norway which could go in our favour too, so there's still plenty to look forward to."
