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Norway vs Scotland. FIFA World Cup European Qualifying Group I.

Ullevaal StadionAttendance24,083.

Norway 4

  • J Riise (35th minute)
  • M Pedersen (46th minute, 92nd minute)
  • E Huseklepp (60th minute)

Scotland 0

  • G Caldwell (sent off 34th minute)

Norway thrash 10-man Scots

Image: Gamst Pedersen: Brace for Norway

Scotland missed the chance to consolidate second place in Group 9 after slipping to a 4-0 defeat to Norway.

Norway run riot in Oslo following Caldwell's dismissal

Scotland missed the chance to consolidate second place in World Cup qualifying Group 9 after slipping to a crushing 4-0 defeat to Norway. The visitors started brightly enough and could have got their noses in front had Darren Fletcher and Kenny Miller converted half-chances inside the opening 15 minutes. The game turned on Gary Caldwell's second yellow card inside a minute with John Arne Riise driving home the resulting free-kick with the aid of a Scott Brown deflection. Scotland's hopes of battling back for an unlikely point were all but extinguished before half-time when Morten Gamst Pedersen was afforded too much time before slotting home with aplomb. John Carew was unlucky to see his low drive beat David Marshall only to hit both posts, however, Erik Huseklepp was on hand to convert the rebound to end the game as a contest. Carew looked like he had added a fourth in the 68th minute when his looping shot appeared to cross the line, although they did net a fourth in injury time when Gamst Pedersen curled home a delightful free-kick. There were around 3,500 of the Tartan Army in the Ullevaal Stadium and they may have had a goal to cheer in the sixth minute after Carew sliced an attempted clearance from Ross McCormack's corner across his own penalty area to Fletcher.

Sliced his volley

However, the Scotland skipper could not set himself quickly enough and sliced his volley from eight yards high over the bar. The first real contentious incident of the match came in the 27th minute when the home side looked to be denied a decent penalty claim when Carew went to ground inside the Scotland penalty area following a desperate challenge by Steven Caldwell. However, there much more drama to come six minutes later. A minute after Gary Caldwell had picked up a booking after clashing with Pedersen, he was dramatically sent off when referee Alain Hamar adjudged him to have fouled Carew 30 yards from goal. Scotland's misery was compounded in the cruellest way when Norway defender Riise rifled the free-kick past Marshall with the help of a massive deflection off Brown. Defender Christophe Berra immediately replaced McCormack as Burley tried to shore up his defence but with seconds remaining in the first half, Norway grabbed number two. With the visiting defence stretched, Bjorn Helge Riise set up Pedersen who guided his left-footed shot from 14 yards past the helpless Marshall. It looked a tall order for 10-man Scotland when the second half started and before two minutes had elapsed, Marshall had to block Carew's toe-poke when the Norway striker breached an unconvincing defensive line at the edge of the penalty area. In the 48th minute McFadden came on for Steven Caldwell, with Burley probably fearing he may have joined his brother in the dressing room after he had tempted referee Hamar by committing another foul.
Desperation
There was an element of desperation about Scotland as they chased around looking for the spark that could ignite a fightback. But the game was put out of Scotland's reach on the hour mark after Carew had forced his way all too easily through Scotland's fragile defence. The big striker's stretched to get his shot away and although the ball hit both posts before rebounding back in to play, Huseklepp was on hand to bundle the ball in to the empty net. Burley's side were all over the place and only a despairing tackle by left-back Callum Davidson, wearing a Scotland jersey for the first time in almost seven years, prevented Bjorn Helge Riise driving home the fourth. Then, in the 67th minute Norway were denied a fourth when Carew's close-range effort from Pedersen's cross hit the bar and appeared to bounce over the line but Marshall grabbed the ball and Hamar waved play on. As the minutes ebbed away, the Scots tired and when substitute Berra had to come off injured in the 77th minute, to be replaced by Steven Whittaker, it simply confirmed that it was not going to be Scotland's night. In the final minute, after Alexander had fouled Norway substitute Per Ciljan Skjelbred 25 yards out, Pedersen neatly curled in number four. Norway's first win of their Group Nine campaign brings them back in to contention for second place while Scotland have it all to do if they are to have any chance of reaching South Africa via the play-offs.

Norway Team Statistics Scotland
4 Goals 0
2 1st Half Goals 0
8 Shots on Target 4
12 Shots off Target 2
3 Blocked Shots 2
5 Corners 3
11 Fouls 18
4 Offsides 1
3 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 1
79.1 Passing Success 75.8
28 Tackles 9
71.4 Tackles Success 55.6
50.7 Possession 49.3
48 Territorial Advantage 52

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