I decide to go completely on the defensive for our French encounter, in the hope that we can salvage a point for our qualifying stage.
Two players are given their debut in a baptism of fire. Fraser Fyvie (23yo midfielder from Wigan) and Johnny Russell (26yo forward from Derby)
GK - Bell
DEF - Wilson, Hanley, Martin
MID - Wallace, Thomson, McArthur, D.Fletcher, Fyvie
FOR - Rhodes, Russell
19 - France 1-0 (Armand)
61 - France 2-0 (Benzema)
62 - Russell replaced by S.Fletcher
79 - France 3-0 (Didot)
That went as well as could be expected. Armenia steal a 3-3 draw with the Ukraine, and we slip five points behind second place.
With four games remaining, we are nearly at the must-win-every-single game stage. We still have a game against France and Ukraine each left to go, so we control our own destiny to a degree.
GK - Bell
DEF - Mulgrew, Martin, Wilson
MID - Wallace, Whittaker, McArthur, Fleck, Brown
ATT - Rhodes, Goodwillie
57 - Scotland 1-0 (Rhodes)
60 - Mulgrew replaced by Thomson
83 - Scotland 2-0 (Rhodes)
A badly-needed three points, even if we left it late in the game to seal the result.
Miracle of miracles: San Marino 1 Ukraine 1. We are back in the hunt for the World Cup with three games remaining!
1. France - 21 points (+22)
2. Ukraine - 14 points (+9)
3. Scotland - 11 points (+10)
4. Armenia - 9 points (-1)
5. Lithuania - 3 points (-18)
6. San Marino - 1 point (-22)
Our last three games are against France, San Marino and Ukraine. All of them will be at home. Ukraine hosts France in the penultimate round of qualifying, which means that our final game could be a winner-takes-all scenario.