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Hampden Park has been the stage for many historic events over its illustrious history since 1903. Include this one to the annals. The Scottish long drought has concluded. The manager, the captain, the midfielder, the playmaker; you shall go to the ball. So too Kieran Tierney, whose bending strike from distance looked like it had secured the win in a five-goal thriller until Kenny McLean executed an still more breathtaking clincher.

Nearly 30 years of frustration, during which Scotland have watched the World Cup from the sidelines, were wiped away as the Danish team suffered a loss in added time. Adult fans in kilts wept. Denmark's participation in the upcoming jamboree hinges on qualifiers. The coach and a suddenly giddy country can start making concrete plans.

Researchers could write studies on the manner in which the team achieved this. They seemed defeated at times, just days before Saturday when suffering a loss in Greece. It was as though fate had decided the Scots had waited long enough for a place in the tournament. The interventions of Tierney and McLean were extraordinary.

The Game Begins

The match had supposedly opened in tough circumstances for Scotland. John Souttar, who had been set to partner the centre-back in central defence, was injured in the warm-up. Grant Hanley took his place. Any sense of disruption was dispelled in the opening moments.

This was one of the most wondrous finishes delivered at the stadium in modern history.

Ben Gannon-Doak jinked and weaved on the wing. The Bournemouth winger’s arched delivery ought to have been difficult for the midfielder to control. He was with his back to the net, to begin with. Instead, McTominay launched himself into the air and planted an bicycle kick past the reach of the goalkeeper. This historic stadium exploded, not just in acknowledgment of the early lead but the unique circumstances in which it came. Incredible.

Game Battle

McTominay was performing like a driven individual. Gannon-Doak seemed electric. The home team's threat was evident in attacking too ferociously; Craig Gordon saved from the Danish striker after the Denmark striker was sent clean through. The offside flag was raised but he might have been onside a VAR review if it had been necessary. As a Danish player sent a ball across the Scottish goal and McKenna deflected effectively from another attacker, the Scots were in a battle to hold their lead.

The winger had unnerved the Danes with his quickness. It felt a big loss to Clarke, then, as the Bournemouth man strained when trying to stop a pass. He left the field on a medical cart after only 20 minutes.

The striker soon had the goal in the goal but was called for a push on the defender. By the half-hour, the team were playing extremely dangerously, a fact underscored as the defender turned a Pierre‑Emile Højbjerg drive narrowly wide. But Scotland reached the break unscathed. They were even denied of a golden chance of a additional goal, Rasmus Kristensen smartly fouling the midfielder, earning a booking, after the midfielder capitalised on Danish mistakes.

Second Half Excitement

Højlund forced Gordon into a quick, low stop within the opening moments of the second half. If Scotland were going to qualify, 45 minutes would seem like the decades since the tournament. Considering Denmark only needed a tie, the flow of attacks right from the start of the second period felt ominous for the home team. They were succeeding – to a point – in breaking up Danish attacks but immediately giving the ball back to those in red.

When the tying goal came, it came with the whiff of controversy associated.

The official initially saw no infringement with Robertson challenge on the winger on the edge of the box. In fact, it seemed the player went down into the ground. After being advised to look again by the VAR, Szymon Marciniak awarded the spot. Højlund smashed home. On the run of play, the equalizer was the minimum Denmark deserved but the hosts had reason to be angry about the decision.

Late Action

All this action-packed match lacked was a sending off. It arrived on the hour, Kristensen another infraction of the match on a attacking midfielder earning another yellow card. Then the coach twisted by bringing on the strikers one substitute and Che Adams.

This decision was to pay dividends. Denmark's defending of an curling Lewis Ferguson set piece was shambolic, letting the striker to finish. The Hearts frontman, introduced for his attacking prowess, showed precisely that. The Danish head coach the coach, though, had cause to be furious at how straightforward it was.

Scotland had little time to build on their lead. Within a short time, Patrick Dorgu slotted into the net after Andreas Christensen passed into his way inside the box from goal. On this occasion Scotland were overly careless.

The striker flicked a shot off target. The midfielder's curling shot just missed the post. Then came the defender and a strike fit to deciding the game. The substitute added gloss: from the halfway line, no less.