Earlier than Doak began to motor, this was shaping as much as be a paean to Luka Modric and his scrumptious array of passes, his uncanny capability to make every thing look so easy and his other-worldly capability to search out house in crowded locations.

Scotland despatched one man after one other to get near him and he counted them in and counted them again out once more.

Not one Scot ruffled his feathers. That job fell as a substitute to an Israeli. And what a job referee Orel Grinfeeld fabricated from it. World-class whistling, from a Scottish perspective not less than.

Grinfeeld appears like a personality from the Improbable Beasts films and, in sending off Petar Sucic simply earlier than the break, he grew to become a stupendous creature to a beforehand angst-ridden residence crowd.

The Tartan Military have been dwelling off their nerves to that time. Scotland have been blessed to be degree. Frankly, they have been everywhere.

Hustled and harried and seeking to all of the world like they have been getting ready to plunge ever deeper into the bottomless pit of poor outcomes.

Croatia ought to have been a purpose or two to the nice, however weren’t. In the event that they have been annoyed, it was nothing in comparison with the state they have been about to get themselves.

Sucic, on a reserving, was adjudged to have barrelled into John Souttar and out got here the crimson. It was unjust and, instantly, Modric misplaced his form.

He shouted, he laughed sarcastically, he waved his arms in disbelief. After which he was booked. He’ll miss Portugal on Monday.

On the break, one among his coaches stared out Grinfeeld in a barely comedic scene. When the Croatian superior, out got here a yellow card. Pantomime stuff. Fantastic.