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Hampden Park has witnessed numerous memorable events throughout its illustrious history dating back to 1903. Remember this match to the annals. Scotland's long drought is over. Steve Clarke, the captain, Scott McTominay, the playmaker; you shall go to the ball. So too the defender, whose bending shot from distance seemed to have sealed the win in a high-scoring affair before the substitute delivered an more spectacular final goal.

Almost 27 years of frustration, during which the Scottish men's team have seen the global tournament from afar, were obliterated as the Danish team suffered a loss in injury time. Grown men in traditional dress cried. The Danish participation in the upcoming tournament hinges on March playoffs. The coach and a now giddy football nation can start making definite arrangements.

PhD students could produce work on how on earth the team accomplished this. They looked defeated at times, no more recently than Saturday when suffering defeat in Athens. It was almost as if destiny had predetermined the Scottish team had waited quite enough for a place in the tournament. The actions of Tierney and McLean were extraordinary.

The Night Unfolds

The match had supposedly started in difficult fashion for Scotland. The defender, who had been set to play alongside the centre-back in the back line, was injured in the warmup. Grant Hanley stepped in. All problem was forgotten within the opening moments.

It was one of the most spectacular strikes produced at the stadium in recent times.

Ben Gannon-Doak dribbled and dodged on the right. The Bournemouth winger’s floated pass should have been tricky for McTominay to control. He was facing away from the net, to begin with. Rather, McTominay propelled himself into the air and planted an scissor kick beyond the grasp of Kasper Schmeichel. This historic stadium erupted, not just in acknowledgment of the opening goal but the special circumstances in which it came. Wow.

Game Struggle

McTominay was performing like a player inspired. The young winger appeared electric. Scottish danger resonated in pushing forward too ferociously; the goalkeeper denied from the Danish striker after the Denmark striker was through on goal. The assistant's flag was raised but Højlund could have been onside a further inspection were it required. As a Danish player flashed a cross across the Scottish area and McKenna blocked well from Victor Froholdt, the Scots were in a contest to maintain their lead.

Gannon-Doak had unnerved the Danes with his pace. It felt a big loss to Clarke, at that point, as the Bournemouth man overstretched when trying to block a cross. He left the pitch on a stretcher after only 20 minutes.

The striker soon had the goal in the goal but was penalised for a push on Aaron Hickey. By the 30-minute mark, Scotland were living far too dangerously, a fact further emphasised as the defender turned a midfielder shot just wide. Yet they made it to the break unscathed. They were even robbed of a great opportunity of a two-goal lead, a Danish defender cleverly taking out McGinn, earning a yellow card, after the midfielder capitalised on opposition slackness.

Second Half Excitement

The attacker forced Gordon into a smart, low stop in a minute and a half of the second half. If the Scots were going to succeed, the remainder would seem like the decades since the tournament. Given the visitors only required a draw, the flow of traffic right from the start of the half felt ominous for the hosts. Scotland were managing – to a point – in breaking up Danish offensives but immediately handing the possession back to those in the away kit.

As the equaliser was scored, it came with the whiff of cordite involved.

The referee originally noticed nothing wrong with the captain's tackle on Gustav Isaksen on the angle of the penalty area. Indeed, it seemed Isaksen went down into the air. After being advised to review by the VAR, Szymon Marciniak awarded the penalty spot. The striker drilled into the net. On the run of play, parity was the minimum Denmark merited but Scotland had cause to be angry about the decision.

Late Heroics

The only thing thrilling game lacked was a sending off. It arrived on the 60-minute mark, Kristensen another infraction of the match on a marauding midfielder earning another yellow card. Now the coach twisted by throwing on the forwards one substitute and Che Adams.

The move was to pay dividends. Denmark's defending of an curling midfielder set piece was poor, letting Shankland to score. The Hearts frontman, brought on for his predatory instinct, showed precisely that. The opposition manager Brian Riemer, however, had cause to be furious at how simple it was.

The home team had little time to build on their lead. Within three minutes, a Danish player slotted into the net after Andreas Christensen laid into his path 12 yards from goal. This time the defense were too careless.

Adams flicked a shot off target. The midfielder's curling attempt narrowly missed the upright. Enter the defender and a goal capable of deciding the contest. McLean provided the finish: from the midfield, indeed.