Scotland gave their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 a major boost this evening courtesy of a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland at Celtic Park.

Jonathan Walters struck his own crossbar in the second half, moments before Shaun Maloney got the only goal of the game with a fine curling effort from just inside the box.

Ireland almost got a dramatic late equaliser in the closing stages, but the woodwork came to Scotland's rescue as Grant Hanley nodded a free kick against his own bar.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at whether the hosts were worthy of their win in Glasgow.

Match statistics

Scotland
Shots: 13
On target: 2
Possession: 58%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 10

Ireland
Shots: 9
On target: 4
Possession: 42%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 18

Was the result fair?

Both sides deserve credit for contributing to a superb spectacle this evening. The match was played at a frenetic pace from start to finish, with the electric atmosphere from the stands feeding down onto the pitch and having an affect on the players. It was an absorbing 90 minutes, despite there being just the one goal.

Such was the nature of the match that it is tough to say either side deserved the win. Scotland looked the more dangerous of the two sides and created the better chances, but they only managed two shots on target despite having almost 60% possession. Ireland, meanwhile had double the amount of shots on target but only really troubled David Marshall once.

On the balance of chances, if either side deserved the victory it was Scotland. It was the sort of game where a moment of magic or a mistake would decide it, and it proved to be the former. A draw would not have flattered Ireland, but they didn't really do enough to warrant the win themselves, despite matching Scotland for long periods.

Scotland's performance

Their progression under Gordon Strachan continues, and this was a vintage Strachan performance. It was full of passion, hunger and desire, with Scotland not giving an inch to their equally-committed opponents. The hosts certainly did not have things all their own way today, but they were able to create the better chances and will feel that they are worthy of the three points.

The lack of cutting edge in the final third will perhaps worry Strachan a little. Steven Fletcher missed two very good chances in the first half, while his replacement, Chris Martin, also squandered a clear opening in the second. However, they stayed firm at the back and eventually came up with the goods in style courtesy of Maloney's strike.

This may not have been a must-win match, but defeat would have seen them fall six points behind Ireland. With Germany and Poland expected to occupy the top two spots, the two matches between these sides could be vital in the race for third, so the importance of this victory should not be underestimated. It was a massive one for the hosts, who are very much in the race now.

Ireland's performance

Just like Scotland, there can be absolutely no faulting the visitors' commitment tonight. They gave it everything in front of a partisan home crowd that did not lower the noise levels once throughout the 90 minutes. It must have been a tough environment to play in, but Ireland applied themselves well and put in a decent performance.

They certainly settled into the match quicker than their hosts, but they were unable to build on that and allowed Scotland back into the game. They also struggled to create much in the final third despite some promising link-up play between Shane Long and Walters. Defensively they looked relatively sound throughout, with only some good movement from the Scotland strikers catching them off guard on a couple of occasions.

Martin O'Neill will be gutted to have lost this match as victory would have been a big step towards a finish in the top three of Group D. However, his side are still well placed, joint second in the standings along with Scotland and Germany. They almost came away with a point as well when Hanley hit his own bar late on, but unlike the matches against Georgia and Germany, there was no late saviour for Ireland tonight.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Shaun Maloney: No single player stood out as the man of the match today, so this one goes to the person who made the difference. Maloney was something of a creative force throughout, but it is his goal that wins him this award. It was a beautifully taken strike as he guided an effort into the far corner following a good piece of link-up play with Brown. Scotland needed composure at that moment, and Maloney provided it with a sweet strike.

Biggest gaffe

There weren't many clear gaffes tonight, so we're going to pick on Fletcher for missing a great chance in the first half. Maloney had done really well down the right to squeeze a cross into the box but, instead of sweeping it home with his weaker right foot, Fletcher tried to flick it in with his left, only to miss the ball entirely.

Referee performance

It was a tough match for Milorad Mazic to referee today, with both sides fying into challenges and not holding anything back. However, the Serbian official did a fine job of keeping things under control.

What next?

Scotland: Expect no let-up in the atmosphere as Scotland welcome the auld enemy England to Celtic Park for a friendly on on Tuesday.

Ireland: Ireland, meanwhile, host the United States in a friendly, also on Tuesday.

Written by
Barney Corkhill