Match Analysis: Gibraltar 0-6 Scotland

Steven Fletcher of Scotland celebrates scoring their second goal during the UEFA EURO 2016 qualifier between Scotland and Poland at Hampden Park on October 08, 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland.
© Getty Images
Sports Mole analyses Scotland's 6-0 victory over Gibraltar in their final Euro 2016 qualifying match.

Scotland ended their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign on a high, with a 6-0 victory over Gibraltar.

Chris Martin and Shaun Maloney gave Scotland a 2-0 half-time lead in a match they dominated from start to finish.

A Steven Fletcher hat-trick followed in the second half, and Steven Naismith completed the scoring in stoppage time.

Here, Sports Mole analyses the key points from the match.

Match statistics

GIBRALTAR
Shots: 4
On target: 0
Possession: 35%
Corners: 0
Fouls: 13

SCOTLAND
Shots: 31
On target: 14
Possession: 65%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 7

Was the result fair?

Scotland came into the match as heavy favourites and they dominated the match from start to finish, and should have held more than a 2-0 lead at half time. Steven Fletcher's hat trick in the second half boosted Scotland's margin of victory and it was no less than they deserved from the match.

Gibraltar have been the whipping boys of the group throughout the campaign, and it was clear that they had no plans to attack tonight, and did not test Allan McGregor all evening.

Gibraltar's performance

Gibraltar were run ragged by the Scots this evening, and the six goals conceded means that they break San Marino's record for most goals conceded in a qualifying campaign with a total of 56. They offered nothing in way of attack, and had it not been for the performance of goalkeeper Jamie Robba they could have been hit for double figures tonight.

There have been glimpses that Gibraltar are improving throughout this qualifying campaign, but tonight was a big reminder that their squad is made up mainly of semi-professional and amateur players who are completely out of their depth when coming up against seasoned professionals.

Scotland's performance

It does not matter who was in front of them. This emphatic performance gives a lift to the thousands of fans that travelled to Portugal despite missing out on qualification on Thursday.

After a mixed first half, where Scotland dominated proceedings but netted just twice, Steven Fletcher's second-half hat-trick was the highlight in a great display of attacking football. Johnny Russell came on to make his competitive debut and will surely be a key player in Scotland's World Cup 2018 qualifying campaign. Lively on the ball, and intelligent off it, the Derby County man was unlucky not to score tonight.

Scotland really excelled with their wide play tonight, and full-backs Andrew Robertson and Alan Hutton were crucial for the team.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Steven Fletcher: It was a slow start for the striker, who missed three good chances in the first half, but he made amends with a superb hat-trick. His third was the best goal of the night - a curling shot which went in off the crossbar.

Biggest gaffe

Matt Ritchie was not involved as much as he would have liked tonight, but should have opened the scoring in the 18th minute. He got his shot all wrong though and fired it high over the crossbar.

Referee performance

It was an easy night for referee Aleksei Kulbakov. No injuries, no yellow cards and no glaring mistakes for the Belarusian.

What next?

Gibraltar: It all depends on the results of an appeal to FIFA. They are currently not recognised by FIFA but if that is overturned, they will be entered into the 2018 World Cup qualifying. As it stands, their next competitive match will be in September 2018 at the start of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.

Scotland: The wait continues for Scotland, whose last appearance in a major tournament came at France 98. Their next scheduled match is the World Cup qualifying opener against Malta in 11 months time.

Steven Fletcher of Scotland celebrates scoring their second goal during the UEFA EURO 2016 qualifier between Scotland and Poland at Hampden Park on October 08, 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland.
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