WCQ: Lithuania 0-3 Scotland

Stuart Armstrong (left) celebrates with his team-mate Leigh Griffiths

Scotland kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive with an assured 3-0 victory in Lithuania on Friday.

Gordon Strachan's men travelled to Vilnius knowing anything less than a win would all but end their hopes of going to Russia 2018.

But goals from Stuart Armstrong (25) and Andrew Robertson (30) in a dominant first-half display eased the nerves before James McArthur (72) made sure of the victory.

The result lifts Scotland up to third in Group F, four points behind second-place Slovakia ahead of Monday's Qualifier with whipping boys Malta at Hampden Park.

 

Scotland's qualification campaigns of recent years are remembered for falling short at the final hurdle, but any chance of that trend repeating itself was quickly eradicated by a powerful start in the Lithuanian capital.

With the exception of Arvydas Novikovas' dragged 10th-minute effort, it was one-way traffic as the Scots laid siege to the Lithuania goal.

And they got the goal their industrious start deserved as Armstrong headed a Leigh Griffiths corner into the back of the net from close range midway through the half.

 

One became two shortly after when Liverpool full-back Robertson underlined Scotland's dominance by curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Scotland started the second period needing to score a decisive third, and, after peppering the Lithuanian goal, McArthur finally got the better of stopper Ernestas Setkus with a scooped finish 18 minutes from time.

It means a place at next summer's World Cup is very much still up for grabs for Scotland, who look to capitalise on Slovakia's trip to Wembley when Malta travel to Glasgow.