\n<\/p>\n
For an hour at Hampden, Lawrence Shankland was a peripheral figure, a support act for George Hirst – Scotland’s number nine – and diminished because of it.<\/b><\/p>\n
Shankland ran everywhere apart from where he is most effective. He dropped deep and ran wide, he sacrificed himself so that Hirst could be the one leading the line. <\/p>\n
He was in the margins of a nervy farewell to Hampden before the team heads for the United States on Sunday.<\/p>\n
That would change, of course, And thank goodness. Shankland pushed on, took up more dangerous positions and, surprise, surprise, scored and then scored again. Two chances and two beautiful finishes.<\/p>\n
Shankland is, by a margin, Steve Clarke’s most accomplished striker. Let’s hope the message lands. <\/p>\n
No more Che Adams starting the big games. We’re firmly in the Shankland era now. He’s the one you’d want in a do-or-die moment in America, a chance to keep Scotland alive in the tournament. <\/p>\n
When the new Rangers striker made it 2-1, then 3-1, a day of toil against the 10 men of Curacao – world ranking of 82 – turned into something altogether more palatable. <\/p>\n
Up until those moments, Scotland were in mortal danger of being sent on their way with a collective shrug from the Tartan Army, a goodbye and good riddance message as they prepared for departure.<\/p>\n
Eventually the loss of Jurgen Locadio, the hulking forward who walked in the 38th minute after an elbow on Aaron Hickey, told. That was the turning point. <\/p>\n
Curacao were 1-0 ahead at the time and Scotland were struggling. The stadium was like a morgue. This is not how it was meant to be.<\/p>\n
Locadio dynamited his team’s chances and prepared the ground for Scotland’s comeback. Nobody wanted that, not Curacao and not Clarke either. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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