Scotland and Austria share four goals
Monday, October 10, 2011
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Scotland 2-2 Austria
Scotland remain in second spot in qualifying Group 10 after twice recovering from a goal behind on a rainy night in Paisley.
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Jordan Rhodes took his tally to five goals in two Group 10 qualifiers as Scotland twice fought back from a goal down against Austria.
Rhodes, who scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 defeat of Luxembourg on Friday, struck on 37 and 64 minutes, cancelling out efforts from Andreas Weimann and Deni Alar. The result leaves Scotland in second place, four points behind the Netherlands after three matches apiece, ahead of their encounter with the Jong Oranje next month.
Rhodes was heavily involved early on, firing over after Scott Alan played him through with a clever reverse pass and then curling a shot wide from a tight angle. It was counterpart Weimann who opened the scoring, however, and in some style, beating goalkeeper Grant Adam with a swerving shot from long range on the quarter-hour mark.
The Scotland No9 equalised when he headed in Gregg Wylde's cross from the byline, but Billy Stark's charges fell behind again three minutes before half-time, Florian Hart crossing to the near post for Alar to steer in a header.
Rhodes showed his predatory instincts when he was in the right place to loop in the rebound after Heinz Lindner had brilliantly saved a header from substitute Peter Pawlett. The Huddersfield Town FC striker might have been rewarded for his efforts with three points had Wylde's cross from the left drifted under, rather than against, the crossbar late on.