Rangers legend identifies the 'brave and bold' Steve Clarke decision that cost Scotland against Ukraine

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Rangers and Scotland legend Ally McCoist says the nation can have no complaints about not reaching this winter's World Cup in Qatar after a tactical call backfired on them.Ukraine have had the support of the world behind them amid Russia's invasion of their country and their football team provided a boost with a 3-1 World Cup play-off semi-final win against Steve Clarke's side.Callum McGregor's goal set up a grandstand finish after Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk strikes left them with it all to do.Artem Dovbyk then netted with the game's final kick to provide the Ukrainians an emotional win.It's heartbreak for Scotland though, who after last summer's place at Euro 2020, are made to wait further for a berth at football's biggest show.Rangers icon McCoist - who hails from East Kilbride - is gutted that it'll now be at least 28 years the nation has waited for World Cup action, but their performance at Hampden didn't merit that being less.Clarke's decision to go for two strikers in Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes, giving up midfield space in the process, has been pinpointed as a reason why.He told Sky Sports: "I don't think the occasion got to them.

The brutal fact is I think we were beaten by a far better team."It's as simple as that. We are a good side, but we were beaten by a very good side, who were better than I thought they would be."It was a brave and bold decision to play two up front but I don't think it worked for us."When you play the extra man up front, they dominated the middle of the park, and utilised that very well.

They outnumbered us. We were beat by a better side."Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport onTwitter via@LanLiveSport, like us onFacebookor find us onInstagramfor the latest sports news, pictures and