Israel 1-1 Scotland: Ryan Fraser’s strike salvages another World Cup qualifier draw for Scots

Scotland’s players spoke last week of being inspired by the efforts of their Six Nations counterparts as they looked to end a hoodoo of their own on the road.

Gregor Townsend’s group went to Twickenham and Paris, winning in both for the first time this century. History was rewritten.

Not since 1986 when Paul McShay got the sole goal have Scotland left Israel victorious. In the end no rabbit could be pulled from the hat here. It took a Ryan Fraser equaliser to lift Steve Clarke’s men from their sorry first half showing.

Ryan Fraser salvaged a draw for Scotland in their World Cup qualifier against Israel on Sunday

Dor Peretz gave Israel the lead with a stunning long-range effort that flew into the net

‘Disappointed,’ Clarke succinctly summarised.

‘We didn’t start well but we made a slight tweak and had a better control from the changes that I made. As always, this group of players showed good character and with a bit of luck we could have claimed everything.’

In what was these two sides’ sixth meeting in the last two-and-a-half years, there was an inevitability in this being a close encounter from the off. Given Denmark put eight past Moldova and Austria struck three past the Faroe Islands, a draw didn’t suit either sides’ bid to be in Qatar next year. Come the final whistle, the faces of both sets of players said it all.

Clarke was looking for urgency, particularly in attack, early on having spent most of his pre-match talking up the ‘fresh legs’ at his disposal. Southampton’s Che Adams got his first start for his country, replacing Lyndon Dykes, and he looked lively, albeit without a decisive contribution.

Scott McTominay needed to do better with the first big chance of the game inside seven minutes, working himself free in the box only to head Andy Robertson’s corner wide from eight yards out.

The 5,000 fans allowed entry inside the Bloomfield stadium in Tel Aviv breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The match quickly became more of a basketball contest than a football one – momentum swinging from one side to the next – and that seemed to suit Israel more than it did Scotland.

Manor Solomon, who scored the only goal when these sides met back in November, drew a fine save out of David Marshall midway through the half but it proved a warning Scotland did not heed.

The World Cup qualifier was played out in front on 5,000 fans in the Bloomfield Stadium

Peretz’s stunning opener gave Israel the lead but David Marshall could have done better in goal

Sixty seconds before the break they were behind, a long-range strike from Dor Peretz getting the better of a full-stretch Marshall. It was only Peretz’s second goal for his country. The other? That was against Scotland, too.

Replays showed Marshall got both hands to the ball but could only push it into the side of his net. He knew he should, and could, have done better.

Clarke responded by introducing Ryan Christie at the break, withdrawing Jack Hendry and switching to a back four and it had the desired effect. 

Scotland were instantly more dominant, more suffocating and it paid dividend early when Fraser fired in an equaliser before the hour, smartly teed up by Adams.

Fraser hauled Scotland back into the contest after finishing off Che Adams’ pass on the break

‘I thought we showed character and the gaffer said at half-time we need to stand up and I thought we did that better,’ Fraser said.

‘The gaffer got us coming out fighting and some of our passages of play were brilliant.’

The goal had a galvanising effect. Heads that dropped when Peretz’s strike went in were suddenly raised – memories of Twickenham and Paris came flooding back for the Tartan Army.

Scotland pushed, armed with the knowledge that the point against Austria at Hampden would be significantly diluted if it wasn’t three here in Tel Aviv.

In the end there was no dramatic late show. It wasn’t to be. Unbeaten in the group but only two points to show for it. The Israel hoodoo continues, 35 years and counting.