Scottish defensive steel delivers Vogts' eventual victory

Iceland 0 Scotland 2: Scotland put the Faroe Islands debacle behind them with a battling display but Northern Ireland are outclassed

"We can only apologise for the delay," was the message emanating from Glasgow airport late on Saturday night. That it came not from Berti Vogts but from the handling company responsible for a 90-minute delay in the off-loading of his victorious team's luggage made it no less appropriate for the occasion.

Scotland, at the eighth time of asking in an international match, had eventually won for their German coach. The memory of the gutless, insipid 2-2 draw in the opening Euro 2004 qualifier in the Faroe Islands last month had been considerably dimmed, if not entirely eradicated. And Vogts was full of renewed belief that his side can reach the Portugal tournament.

"All that the players needed was one win," Vogts said. "I think the players did so well all afternoon and for me. That was a real Scottish team on the pitch. They did so well and we are now back in the tournament."

Clearly one win does not constitute grounds for overconfidence. Not least one win against an out-of-sorts Iceland who had only one player – Chelsea's Eidur Gudjohnsen, whose most dangerous moment saw a rattled crossbar – seemingly intent on justifying the home nation's status as the bookmakers' pre-match favourites.

But studying the Group Five qualifying table this morning, and seeing Scotland sitting on top of it with four points from two away games, and you could almost assume that a runners-up spot behind Germany is attainable. Not least if Saturday's attitude – and it was attitude rather than strict application that won this game – is replicated when the qualifying campaign resumes next March.

Aside from Gary Naysmith's beautifully taken goal in the second half, which saw the Everton man bring down a cross in the box, make a yard of space and wallop a dipping volley, there was not a lot that was especially pleasing on the eye. The first half, apart from Christian Dailly's headed opener after seven minutes, was actually quite dull.

But there were encouraging signs, starting at the back and moving forward, that Vogts could yet mould a spirited unit from the meagre resources that are still clearly subject to experimentation. The solid three-man defence of Dailly, Steven Pressley, who excelled, and Lee Wilkie, whose height and power was important in nullifying Gudjohnsen, was particularly important, if only to instil confidence elsewhere.

"Steven Pressley did really well and I have to give my best wishes to Christian Dailly for his goal," said Vogts, whose decision to publicly criticise Dailly and David Weir after the Faroe Islands match led Weir to withdraw his services for the foreseeable future.

"We changed a few parts of the system, but the players did so well and stayed very close to their opponents all afternoon," he added.

Weir was one of six players to start against the Faroes who were absent on Saturday. Celtic's Stephen Crainey had been sent back to the Under-21s, allowing Pressley and Wilkie to replace him and Weir. Paul Dickov, Allan Johnston, Kevin Kyle and Scott Dobie were also omitted – due to form or injury – allowing starts in a formation changed from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 for Jackie McNamara and Naysmith, with Stevie Crawford and Steven Thompson in attack.

Rangers' Maurice Ross, given freedom to press forward down the right flank, did so to good effect. Paul Lambert and Barry Ferguson worked well together in the centre, and Crawford, arguably the only player to emerge from the Faroe Islands débâcle with any credit, was a constant threat.

"There is a wee bit of light at the end of the tunnel I suppose," Naysmith said, keen not to overestimate the significance of Saturday's result. "Berti stuck by the players and this is great for him. It has taken a little bit of pressure off." Of his goal, he added: "It's the first goal I've scored with my right foot as a professional and it couldn't have come at a better time really.

Vogts' captain, Paul Lambert, concurred. "It was a fantastic win," he said. "We deserved to win the game on a field that was really poor, really heavy and soft. This puts us in a really good position." What a difference 90 minutes makes.

ICELAND (4-4-2): Arason (Rosenborg); Thorsteinsson (Molde), L Sigurdsson (West Brom), Hreidarsson (Ipswich), Vidarsson (Lokeren); Gudnason (Keflavik), Ingimarsson (Wolves), Kristinsson (Lokeren), Gunnarsson (Stoke); H Sigurdsson (Lyn), E Gudjohnsen (Chelsea). Substitutes: Helguson (Watford) for H Sigurdsson, h-t; Baldvinsson (Stabaek) for Vidarsson, 68; B Gudjohnsen (Stoke) for Gudnason, 77.

SCOTLAND (3-5-2): Douglas (Celtic); Dailly (West Ham), Pressley (Hearts), Wilkie (Dundee); Ross (Rangers), Lambert (Celtic), Ferguson (Rangers), McNamara (Celtic), Naysmith (Everton); Crawford (Dunfermline), Thompson (Dundee United). Substitutes: Davidson (Leicester City) for McNamara, 35; Anderson (Aberdeen) for Naysmith, 90; Severin (Hearts) for Thompson, 90.

Referee: A Sars (France).