BBC News Online: Special Report

England book Euro 2000 place

England finally booked their place at next year's European Championships in the Low Countries despite losing 1-0 to Scotland at Wembley.

The Scots were once again left to claim a moral victory as a solo goal from Don Hutchison left them unable to overturn England's two-goal first-leg advantage.

England did not manage a single shot on target in the entire 90 minutes and coach Kevin Keegan admitted it was a dismal display.

"We would be the first to admit we did not play well. We could not get going. There are lots of excuses to make, maybe it was a bit too much for the players psychologically, having a 2-0 lead," he said.

"It was a poor performance and you have to give credit to Scotland and Craig Brown. They took a chance, they had to, and we could not get the ball off them."

The Scots deserved to take the tie to extra time as they poured forward after Hutchison headed home a 39th minute cross from winger Neil McCann to send the Tartan Army into delirium.

Brown, on the day of his sixth anniversary at the helm of Scotland, said: "We deserved more than one goal and we played better than England did on Saturday.

"I've never lost two in a row and I wasn't going to against England."

Wembley witnessed an epic encounter as the Scots launched a furious fightback in seeking to overturn England's 2-0 first-leg advantage.

England's Michael Owen had found the net a few minutes before Hutchison's opener but the goal was ruled out for a foul on keeper Neil Sullivan.

Scotland rocked England onto the back foot as they outfought the home side in every department.

Burley bloodied

England appeared blown apart by the ferocity of their onslaught and the goal saw them press the panic button.

The lead was thoroughly deserved as England appeared guilty of the one sin Kevin Keegan vowed they would avoid - complacency.

England created little in the first half, Paul Scholes coming closest when he grazed the side netting after Scotland skipper Colin Hendry had missed a low cross from Alan Shearer.

But apart from the form of Sol Campbell, who once again looked dangerous on the break and confident at the back, England were run ragged.

Scotland manager Craig Brown had named Rangers winger McCann alongside Billy Dodds in a bid to find the cutting edge they missed in the first leg.

Scotland were typified by the bloodied face of midfielder Craig Burley, who temporarily left his side with 10 men when he left the field after 56 minutes because of a blow to the nose.

Owen replaced

While he was off the pitch, England strung together their best move of the game - Owen racing onto Ince's slip pass into the box only to be denied by a tremendous last-ditch tackle from John Collins.

Keegan replaced the disappointing Owen with Emile Heskey with 25 minutes to go as he attempted to give England more muscle up front.

Brown waited ten minutes before his last roll of the dice, switching McCann for 19-year-old Celtic striker Mark Birchill.

Seaman spilled a Hutchison free-kick minutes before Beckham sent his right-foot curler just wide of the left-hand upright.

Seaman then came to England's rescue as he pulled of a fantastic point-blank save from Christian Dailly's header with ten minutes to go.

The Scottish fans broke into a spontaneous rendition of Flower of Scotland in a final bid to inspire their side. But once again they were left with only a moral victory although it does raise serious questions about the Keegan's England.

Teams:

England: Seaman, P Neville, Campbell, Adams, Southgate, Ince, Redknapp, Beckham, Scholes, Shearer, Owen.

Scotland: Sullivan, Weir, Davidson, Dailly, Hendry, Ferguson, Dodds, Burley, McCann, Hutchison, Collins.
Referee: Pierluigi Collina (It)

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