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Scotland's national stadium has witnessed numerous unforgettable occasions over its rich history since 1903. Remember this match to the annals. Scotland's extended wait is over. The manager, the captain, Scott McTominay, the playmaker; they are headed to the tournament. Along with them the defender, whose swerving strike from distance seemed to have sealed the win by the odd goal in five before the substitute delivered an more breathtaking clincher.

Nearly 27 years of heartache, during which the Scottish men's team have seen the World Cup from a distance, were erased as Denmark suffered defeat in added time. Adult fans in kilts wept. The Danish participation in the upcoming event hinges on qualifiers. The coach and a now jubilant country can begin planning concrete arrangements.

Academics could produce work on the manner in which the team pulled off this. They looked defeated at moments, no more recently than the weekend when falling to defeat in Athens. It was as though fate had decided the Scottish team had waited quite enough for a place in the tournament. The contributions of Tierney and the midfielder were incredible.

The Night Kicks Off

The evening had supposedly opened in difficult fashion for the home side. The defender, who had been set to play alongside Scott McKenna in defense, was hurt in the warm-up. His replacement stepped in. Any sense of setback was banished in the opening moments.

This was some of the most amazing finishes produced at Hampden in living memory.

Ben Gannon-Doak maneuvered on the right flank. The Bournemouth winger’s arched pass should have been difficult for the midfielder to navigate. He was with his back to goal, to begin with. Instead, he propelled himself into the air and executed an scissor kick past the reach of Kasper Schmeichel. This renowned old place roared, not simply in recognition of the early lead but the special situation in which it came. Amazing.

Midfield Contest

The Scottish midfielder was performing like a player inspired. Gannon-Doak seemed explosive. The home team's danger was evident in attacking aggressively; the goalkeeper saved from the Danish striker after the Denmark striker was in alone. The assistant's flag was up but he may well have been onside a VAR review if needed. As Mikkel Damsgaard flashed a cross across the Scottish area and the defender blocked well from Victor Froholdt, the Scots were in a battle to hold their lead.

Gannon-Doak had rattled the Danish team with his quickness. It felt a major loss to Clarke, then, as the player overstretched when attempting to stop a cross. He departed the field on a stretcher after just the first half.

The striker soon had the ball in the net but was flagged for a push on Aaron Hickey. By the half-hour, the team were living extremely dangerously, a fact further emphasised as the defender turned a midfielder shot just off target. Yet they reached the halftime without conceding. They were even denied of a golden opportunity of a two-goal lead, a Danish defender smartly fouling McGinn, receiving a yellow card, after the player took advantage of opposition slackness.

Second Half Action

Højlund made Gordon into a sharp, low stop in the opening moments of the restart. If Scotland were going to qualify, 45 minutes would feel like the long wait since their last World Cup. Given Denmark only required a tie, the flow of play right from the onset of the second period felt ominous for the home team. Scotland were managing – to a point – in stopping Danish attacks but promptly handing the possession back to those in red.

When the equaliser came, it came with the whiff of controversy involved.

The official initially saw nothing wrong with the captain's tackle on Gustav Isaksen on the edge of the penalty area. Indeed, it appeared Isaksen went down into the ground. After being advised to look again by the VAR, Szymon Marciniak pointed to the spot. Højlund blasted home. On the run of play, the equalizer was the least the away side earned but Scotland had cause to be angry about the decision.

Final Drama

The only thing exciting encounter was missing was a sending off. It arrived on the 60-minute mark, Kristensen another infraction of the night on a attacking midfielder earning another caution. Now Clarke made a change by bringing on the strikers one substitute and Che Adams.

The move was to prove effective. Denmark's defending of an inswinging Lewis Ferguson set piece was shambolic, allowing Shankland to score. The Hearts frontman, brought on for his goal-scoring ability, showed exactly that. The Danish head coach the coach, though, had reason to be angry at how simple it was.

Scotland had no time to extend their advantage. In a short time, a Danish player placed into the net after Andreas Christensen passed into his path inside the box from the net. This time Scotland were too generous.

Adams directed a header wide. McGinn bending attempt narrowly missed the post. Then came Tierney and a goal capable of win any match. McLean sealed it: from the midfield, indeed.