A dramatic injury-time winner by Jamie Murphy gave Scotland Under-21s victory against Belarus.
Murphy grabs last-minute winner against Belarus
A dramatic injury-time winner by Jamie Murphy gave Scotland Under-21s victory against Belarus.
In the second minute of added time, the Motherwell striker burrowed his way into the Belarus box and drove in from a tight angle for the three points in the European Championship qualifier at St Mirren.
Scotland now have nine points in Group 10 - the same number as Austria - but they are second on an inferior head-to-head record.
It was a deserved win for the home side although they huffed and puffed for most of the game and missed a sitter through Kevin McDonald before the break which almost proved costly.
Billy Stark's team took some time to settle and it took 10 minutes before striker Chris Maguire fired in a drive from distance that went wide, before having a similar effort fly over the bar eight minutes later.
Belarus hit-man Maksim Skavysh responded with a 25-yard effort that was deflected for a corner, which came to nothing.
Scotland slowly increased the pressure but McDonald missed a sitter in the 39th minute when he headed a Maguire cross wide of the target despite being unmarked and only six yards out.
Break
Stark's side began the second half on the front foot but there was no sign that the breakthrough was coming.
A series of stoppages for fouls did little to keep the game flowing although the Scots failed to take advantage of several early corners.
As the second half continued, Belarus seemed content to hold on to the point and the home side appeared to be running out of ideas, a depressing combination for the 4,017 crowd.
In the 68th minute, Scotland substitute Murphy, on moments earlier for Gray, was sent through by Bannon but his angled shot from 18 yards was too weak to unduly bother Haurylau.
The game stretched in the final 10 minutes which created more room at both ends although in the 82nd minute the Belarus penalty area was packed when Scotland debutant Ross Perry headed a Bannon corner wide of the target from 10 yards.
But in the second minute of four minutes of injury time, Murphy finished off a flowing move when he reached the bye-line before slamming in an angled drive just inside the post to give the Scots a dramatic last-gasp win.
