Thanks for joining me for this coverage of Scotland's 2-0 win over Moldova in Group F of qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
That three points for the visitors means they will finish second in the group behind Denmark, and also that they seal a place in the play-offs with a game to spare. It remains to be seen who they will play, but they will surely fancy their chances based on their current run of form. For the hosts meanwhile, it's another disappointing result as they lose their eighth game out of nine. They remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Scots have done it! The game finishes 2-0 to the visitors, confirming that they will finish second in the group. They will be rewarded with a position in the play-offs, giving them a chance to reach a World Cup for the first time since 1998. They dominated the game and took the lead after 38 minutes when Patterson fired home after he was cleverly found in the area by McGinn. The same two players linked up well for the second goal too as the Aston Villa man sent a perfect backheel to Patterson, who found Adams at the back post. The Southampton striker finished and it looked as if the visitors would cruise to an easy victory, but that changed on 81 minutes when the hosts were awarded a penalty after Patterson was seen to have handled in the box. Rata's penalty was saved well by Gordon though, and Clarke's side saw the game out to seal their away win.
90' + 4' FULL-TIME: MOLDOVA 0-2 SCOTLAND
90' + 2' Iosipoi sends a decent effort at goal from distance but Gordon is equal to it.
D. Turnbull
J. McGinn
90' Clarke takes off McGinn and brings on Turnbull in his place.
89' The visitors win a couple of throw-ins high up the pitch as they look to see this game out.
87' Time is running out for Bordin's side to get back in this game.
J. Brown
C. Adams
85' Brown is on for Adams.
K. McLean
B. Gilmour
85' McLean comes on for the impressive Gilmour.
84' Well that was a big scare for the visitors, and the urgency for a third goal has just gone up a touch. McGinn sees a shot saved from a tight angle.
V. Raţă
Penalty Miss
82' Rata went low to Gordon's right, and the keeper did superbly to get down and save it.
C. Gordon
Penalty Save
82' It's saved! Gordon makes a great save to deny Rata from the spot and then Tierney makes an unbelievable tackle to deny Rata on the rebound, and the scoreline remains 2-0 to Scotland.
81' It'll be a penalty to the hosts! Patterson is deemed to have handled the ball, and Moldova will have a great chance to get back in the game.
80' There is a VAR check going on for a penalty to the home side for a handball.
79' A couple of crosses go in from the home side, but they are easily headed clear.
V. Raţă
Yellow Card
77' Rata goes in the book for a really poor, cynical challenge on Robertson.
K. Nisbet
S. Armstrong
76' The lively Armstrong is replaced by Nisbet.
75' Gilmour drags a shot from the edge of the box wide of Namasco's goal.
73' The Scots have another goal disallowed! Namasco spills a McGregor shot and Adams is there to stab home the rebound, however he is offside.
A. Puntus
Yellow Card
72' Puntus is booked for a nasty challenge on McGregor.
A. Puntus
I. Nicolăescu
71' Nicolaescu makes way for Puntus.
M. Iosipoi
D. Marandici
71' Iosipoi comes on for Marandici.
71' It's nealy three! Hendry wins a header from a corner that Posmac has to hack off the line.
69' Rozgoniuc does well to turn another decent cross behind as McGinn lurked at the back post. The subsequent corner then comes to nothing.
67' That could be the goal that kills it off. It's hard to see Moldova coming back into this game given how little they've created over the course of the match.
N. Patterson
Assist
65' It was a good cross from Patterson to find Adams at the back post.
C. Adams
Goal
65' The visitors double their lead! Adams finally gets his goal after some more brilliant work by Patterson and McGinn. The Aston Villa man backheels it to Patterson in the box who sends a low cross to the back post, where Adams is there to turn it in and make it to 2-0.
63' Gilmour sees a shot blocked from inside the box.
A. Rozgoniuc
V. Bolohan
62' Bolohan is replaced by Rozgoniuc.
V. Bogaciuc
C. Dros
61' Bogaciuc comes on for Dros.
M. Cojocaru
R. Gînsari
61' Ginsari makes way for Cojocaru.
A. Ioniţă
Yellow Card
61' Ionita is then booked for his protests.
D. Marandici
Yellow Card
60' Marandici sees yellow for bringing down McGinn and then Patterson in the space of a couple of seconds.
V. Bolohan
Yellow Card
58' McGregor does superbly to snuff out an attack and then stride forward with the ball, before he is taken out cynically by Bolohan.
56' Patterson plays a superb ball through to Armstrong but he can't get the ball under control and Moldova have the ball back.
55' Rata's cross from the resulting free-kick is really poor and Gordon can collect.
N. Patterson
Yellow Card
54' Goalscorer Patterson is booked for leaving Marandici in a heap in midfield.
53' Ionita cuts out a Tierney cross that sought to find Patterson at the far post.
51' Patterson whips a ball into the box that goes all the way across to Tierney, who wins a corner.
49' The visitors have had the better of this second half so far as they hunt for another goal.
47' Adams receives a lofted ball from McGinn in the box, but his touch is heavy again and it goes behind for a goal-kick.
46' The hosts get us back underway.
If they hold on here, Clarke's men will secure a play-off place with one game to spare. They will be frustrated to only have a one goal advantage, and will look to get a second early in this second half to calm a few of their nerves.
And so as we go to the break, the scoreline is 1-0 to the visitors. It is a completely deserved lead too, after they saw a number of good quality chances either spurned or saved by Namasco. Robertson and Armstrong should've put their side in front, although the hosts also nearly took the lead against the run of play with an Ionita header that forced Gordon into a good save. The Scots finally took the lead on 38 minutes though, as some clever link-up play in the box led to Patterson smashing a left-footed effort into the back of the net.
45' + 2' HALF TIME: MOLDOVA 0-1 SCOTLAND
45' There will be two minutes of additional time at the end of the first half.
44' This would be Scotland's 10th win in their last 15 World Cup qualifiers.
42' It's been a positive reaction to going behind from the hosts as they search for a quick equaliser.
40' You have to say that the visitors deserved that goal, having had the majority of the best chances so far in this match.
J. McGinn
Assist
38' It was a fantastic lay-off from McGinn to Patterson to allow him to smash home.
N. Patterson
Goal
38' And the Scots finally get themselves in front! It's a fantastic goal too, coming from good link-up play between Patterson and McGinn. The Rangers man plays it into the feet of McGinn who lays it back to him, before the full-back fires into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
37' The visitors have won their last four matches in a row. Can they make it five here?
35' McGregor smashes an effort from 30 yards out well over Namasco's goal.
34' A rare counter sees Ginsari gallop forward, but his touch is heavy and the ball runs away from him.
33' McGinn wins a corner on the right, however the delivery is poor and it's headed away.
31' The hosts last won a World Cup qualifier in March 2013, drawing three and losing 15 since.
29' Robertson sends another decent ball into the box that the hosts just about manage to scramble clear.
27' Adams latches onto a loose pass by Dros, and drives forward before unleashing a shot at goal. However, he gets it wrong and it dribbles wide.
25' Three points for the visitors here would confirm them a place in the play-offs, having not qualified for the World Cup since 1998.
23' The hosts have their first attack for a while, and nearly take the lead completely against the run of play. Ionita gets on the end of a cross from the right and heads it into the ground, and Gordon just manages to tip the bouncing ball over his crossbar. He then does well to punch the resulting corner away from danger.
21' Adams receives the ball in the box from McGregor, but his touch is heavy and it goes behind for a goal-kick.
19' Scotland have had 73% of the possession so far.
17' And again the visitors should be in front! Robertson makes a surging run into the box and it looks as if he'll smash home, however his effort is off the knees of Namasco and behind for a corner. That was a great chance, and the Liverpool man should've done better.
16' Namasco is required to make a good save again, this time pushing away an Armstrong shot from a tight angle.
14' Clarke's men look threatening every time they come forward. This time they produce some clever link-up play on the left-hand side, however Armstrong slips and the hosts can clear.
12' These two nations have met three times previously, with the Scots winning two out of those games while the other was a draw.
10' The visitors go close again! Tierney sends a teasing cross over from the left that is headed out to the edge of the box where Gilmour is waiting. The midfielder fizzes an effort at goal that Namasco is able to punch away from goal.
8' Well it's been a frantic start to this game with both sides having chances to go in front. Which team will be able to take an opportunity and get themselves an advantage?
6' Adams holds the ball up well in the box and lays it left to Armstrong, however his shot is tame and straight at Namasco in the home goal.
5' Now it's the hosts who go close! Ionita is played in down the left-hand side of the box by Ginsari but he drags his low shot across the face of goal and wide.
3' Scotland have the ball in the net but it's disallowed! Robertson plays a cross into the box and it comes to Adams at the back post, who coolly cuts back onto his left foot and finishes. However the Southampton striker is deemed to be offside and the goal is ruled out.
2' It's a positive early start from the Scots. Adams drives forward and plays it into Armstrong who sees his low cross unconvincingly dealt with and finally cleared.
1' The visitors kick us off and we are underway.
The two teams make their way onto the pitch for the anthems and then kick off.
Visiting boss Steve Clarke opts to make five alterations from the victory over Faroe Islands, with Cooper replacing Grant Hanley at the back while Adams starts up front. McGregor, Armstrong and Patterson are other three who come into the starting line-up.
Home manager Roberto Bordin goes with six changes from the defeat to Israel last time out, with the front two of Ginsari and Nicolaescu replacing the previous strike partners Cociuc and Puntus, who both drop to the bench.
SUBS: Lewis Ferguson, John Souttar, Zander Clark, Kenny McLean, Stephen O’Donnell, Jon McLaughlin, David Turnbull, Kevin Nisbet, Jacob Brown, Scott McKenna.
SCOTLAND (3-4-3): Craig Gordon; Jack Hendry, Liam Cooper, Kieran Tierney; Nathan Patterson, Billy Gilmour, Callum McGregor, Andy Robertson; John McGinn, Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong.
SUBS: Maxim Cojocaru, Igor Arhirii, Corneliu Cotogoi, Nicolae Calancea, Eugeniu Cociuc, Dumitru Celeadnic, Danu Spataru, Victor Bogaciuc, Artiom Puntus, Artiom Rozgoniuc, Iurie Iovu, Marius Iosipoi.
MOLDOVA (3-5-2): Stanislav Namasco; Ion Jardan, Vadim Bolohan, Veaceslav Posmac; Ioan Calin Revenco, Vadim Rata, Cristian Dros, Artur Ionita, Denis Marandici; Ion Nicolaescu, Radu Ginsari.
The visitors meanwhile sit second in the group on 17 points and will hope to maintain that position in the hopes of reaching the play-offs, with the top spot having already been secured by Denmark.
The hosts come into this game bottom of Group F having not won any of their eight games so far. In fact they have lost seven of those games, with their only point coming in a 1-1 draw at home to Faroe Islands in the first match.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2022 World Cup qualifier between Moldova and Scotland.
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