Tony Docherty got his Scotland under-21 reign off to a winning start by thumping Azerbaijan 5-2 at Kilmarnock's Rugby Park. Barney Stewart netted a first half double and James Wilson scored another to give the young Scots a two goal advantage at the interval after Nariman Akhundzada put Azerbaijan 1-0 ahead. In the second half Tyler Fletcher and Bobby Wales added goals for the hosts, while Raul Mammadov notched for the visitors.
Flying start under Docherty
Docherty's team went into the game knowing they couldn't qualify for the tournament, but you wouldn't know it, and in particular the performance of Findlay Curtis, who produced four assists. The 55-year-old decided to follow Sebastien Pocognoli's lead and played with three central defenders, as well as handing starts to both Curtis and Wilson, who were allowed to play in this double header before rejoining the senior squad.
Nariman Akhundzada gave Azerbaijan a shock lead just after the 20 minute mark, but Scotland scored three times in five minutes, which turned the game on its head thanks to a Stewart double and one from Wilson. Tyler Fletcher added another in the second half. There was still time for a consolation goal from Mammadov before Wales tucked away number five.
Assist King Curtis
The away number 10 had a run across the box and buried the ball past Liam McFarlane in virtually their only chance of the match. Winger Curtis, back on the ground where he excelled on loan from Rangers last season, provided the first and third assists of the night, and Taylor Steven got the other, meaning the strikers converted with ease to make it 3-1 at the break.
Manchester United starlet Fletcher, who went to the World Cup in the summer, was picked out by Curtis and made it 4-1 on the hour, with only Mammadov to pull one back 10 minutes later. 19-year-old Curtis got yet another assist of the game, supplying Wales, who turned the ball home from close range for the final goal of the encounter with 10 minutes remaining.
Character coming to the fore
There has been a complete shake-up of Hampden coaches at all age groups, and at under-21 level, after 13 years of Scot Gemmill at the helm, that responsibility now falls to former Dundee manager Docherty. First team boss Sebastien Pocognoli has a set way of playing, with his 3-4-1-2 formation, although that had to be scrapped last night after just eight minutes when Jack Hendry was given his marching orders in a 3-0 Nations League defeat to Switzerland.
It was interesting when speaking with Docherty earlier this week, he wouldn't be drawn on exactly whether he'd use a set-up similar to the one the Belgian has adopted with the senior squad so far, and the young Scots also began tonight's victory in European Championship qualifying against Azerbaijan with a back three at Rugby Park.
Findlay Curtis was a star on loan at Kilmarnock from Rangers under another former Ibrox winger in Neil McCann, and back at Rugby Park, Scotland under-21 manager Tony Docherty called his performance unplayable. The 19-year-old played as part of a three-man central midfield, also comprising goal scorer and Manchester United youngster Tyler Fletcher and St Mirren's Ryan Carr, and he was excellent in the engine room. His four assists from that central position might give current Light Blues gaffer Derek McInnes something to consider, with his eye-of-a-needle passing, particularly against low blocks.
Scotland conceding any goals tonight wasn't in anyone's plans, let alone the opening strike after 21 minutes, but they quickly turned it around, scoring three goals in five minutes. It could have been difficult for the team to get up for the game from the start, given the fact they knew they had no chance of qualifying pre-match. Still, Docherty was pleased with the intensity with which they attacked their opponents, and despite conceding two goals, he commended that his team scored the last one of the night.
