Scotland finished their season on a high as they outclassed a poor Trinidad & Tobago side at Easter Road. And they managed to score four goals for the first time since they beat San Marino back in 2001. The outcome was never in doubt and, if the quality of the opposition was suspect (especially in the first half), hopefully the four goals scored will give Scotland some confidence ahead of their World Cup qualifying group. Scotland manager Berti Vogts has only one game left - against Hungary in August - before the serious stuff starts and this was his biggest win in charge, as long as you ignore the game against a Hong Kong XI.
From the moment Darren Fletcher shot Scotland ahead after just six minutes from a cute back-heel from James McFadden, it was clear this was a mismatch. Trinidad & Tobago seemed reluctant to tackle - they conceded only two fouls in the first half - and gave Scotland too much space to work in. Gary Holt headed the second goal after 14 minutes from an excellent cross from the inspired Fletcher and, nine minutes later, a corner from the Manchester United midfield player, was headed in by Gary Caldwell after Clayton Ince had failed to deal with it. Nigel Quashie scored his first goal for his country in the 34th minute after Steve Crawford had been denied by Ince - the Portsmouth player calmly steering a 20-yard shot into the net. The crowd make sure he knew they did not care that he had played for England before with chants of 'You're not English anymore!'
That gave Scotland a four-goal half-time lead but it should have been more. Crawford, on a better day, could have had a hat-trick but lacked sharpness in front of goal. The home team's most worrying moment was a back-pass from Malky Mackay that Craig Gordon took his eye off and the ball almost slipped into his net. The half time chat by T&T’s coach, Bertille St Clai, worked some magic and enabled them to salvage some respectability as the second half was a different situation. Scotland looking like a side hoping to keep a clean sheet for the first 15 minutes. They did not manage that as Trinidad & Tobago pulled a goal back ten minutes into the second half. Carlos Edwards picked out Stern John unmarked at the far post and he produced an assured right-foot finish from 15 yards out. McFadden should have scored Scotland's fifth in the 62nd minute when he was left unguarded in front of goal but he completely missed his kick after Crawford had presented him with the chance. But Trinidad & Tobago had their moments too with Gordon at full-stretch to divert an Edwards shot past his post.
Man of the match has to be Darren Fletcher who was involved in everything of any note for Scotland. He faded in the second half, and no wonder due to his workrate that paid dividends in the first half.
Scotland: Gordon, McNamara, McAllister, Gary Caldwell, Mackay, Pressley, Fletcher, Holt, Crawford, McFadden, Quashie
Subs: Gallacher, Stephen Caldwell, Hughes, McNamee, McCulloch, Kenny Miller, Webster, Kerr, Shearer
Trinidad and Tobago: Ince, Cox, Andrews, Sancho, Edwards, Dwarika, Glenn, John, Mason, Jones, Eve
Subs: Rojas, King, Jemmot, Nixon, Theobold, Baptiste, Boucaud, Williams
Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands)
