Perfect Dutch end Scotland´s hopes

Scotland’s hopes of reaching the World Cup finals suffered a heartbreaking end on Wednesday when Holland kept up their 100 percent record in Group Nine with a 1-0 win at Hampden.

Substitute Eljero Elia supplied the killer goal six minutes from time for the Dutch who finished their campaign with a perfect eight wins in eight matches.

The defeat, coupled with Norway’s 2-1 win over Macedonia, meant the Scots could only finish in third place, ending their slim hopes of squeezing into the play-offs.

In an open game, both sides had chances to win with Michel Vorm and David Marshall both making several good saves.

But the Scots will rue several missed opportunities with Rangers striker Kenny Miller guilty of spurning a gilt-edged chance from point blank range in the first-half before a David Weir mistake allowed Elia to score late on.

Scotland were dealt a massive blow before kick-off with the news first choice keeper Craig Gordon was ruled out through injury with Cardiff’s Marshall coming in as Burley made five changes to the team that defeated Macedonia on Saturday.

Any talk of Holland, who had already qualified for the finals, taking it easy were quickly dispelled as a line-up including Robin Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben penned Scotland back in the opening minutes.

Dirk Kuyt silenced the Hampden crowd in the fourth minute when the Liverpool forward crashed a shot off the post after a neat flick from Sneijder teed him up.

The fans soon found their voices again when the Scots, in a must-win match, picked up the tempo.

Miller first saw a deflected volley come close before Saturday’s goal hero Scott Brown came agonisingly close to putting the Scots ahead in the ninth minute.

Alan Hutton’s delightful curling delivery evaded everyone in the box apart from the outstretched leg of Brown who somehow managed to deflect it wide of the post from six yards out.

Miller then had a penalty shout when he appeared to be pulled down as he attempted a volley but the referee ignored his protests.

The Dutch were still enjoying plenty of possession and Marshall had to be alert to push a Sneijder shot over the bar before standing tall to block a Robben effort as the Bayern Munich star raced in on goal.

Miller had the crowd on their feet after Brown found him in the box and the Rangers striker’s angled cross-cum-shot crashed off the upright.

Scotland had the ball in the net after 33 minutes when Steven Naismith knocked Steven Whittaker’s long clearance past Vorm but the Rangers man had been flagged offside.

The Dutch had keeper Vorm, winning only his third cap, to thank for keeping them in the match in the 38th minute with a tremendous double save.

He touched Naismith’s drive from range onto the post before pulling off a point blank save from Miller’s rebound from four yards out, when the Rangers striker really should have scored.

The second-half started with both teams enjoying possession but without creating any chances before Kuyt glanced a header just over from a Sneijder corner.

Kuyt found himself in the referee’s book minutes later for diving after the Dutchman went down after minimal contact from McManus.

Marshall came to Scotland’s rescue in the 63rd minute when Robben turned Hutton in the box only to see his shot from eight yards palmed away by the keeper.

At the other end, a close-range Miller volley squirmed through Vorm’s fingers and round the post.

Substitute Kris Commons threw himself at a Maloney cross with ten minutes to go but sent his diving header wide.

Just as it looked like Scotland might claim a winner Weir headed a long ball into the path of Elia who raced in on goal before rounding Marshall to stroke the ball home in the 82nd minute.