Scotland 1 Canada 1: Gordon Strachan’s side held as Steven Naismith cancels out Fraser Aird strike

By the end you were left wondering just how worse things are going to get before it gets any better.

Sure this was a friendly game and sure there were fringe players handed caps on a pitch which was more like porridge than grass.

But it was still so painful to watch.

Forget the players, this was such a horrible, miserable night that the SFA should hand out caps to anyone who paid good money to watch the game let alone play in it.

Thousands of Tartan Army food soldiers decided to rest their weary legs.

Easter Road was half empty for this friendly clash.

But by time up there wouldn’t have been many of the stay-away punters who were wishing they had turned up.

At £22 for an adult ticket it’s maybe little wonder that the attendance was so low.

But there’s no doubt that it’s also a sign of the times where this Scotland team is concerned.

Hampden Park will hopefully be packed to the rafters by 7.45pm on Sunday night.

God knows this group of players need all the help they can get.

Put it this way, whoever was at the game on a spying mission for Slovenia wouldn’t have left the place worried too much about the World Cup crunch.

Shaking with hypothermia, maybe.

But our next opponents will surely have their confidence boosted by a lot of what went on here.

Like the way Aird was allowed the freedom of the pitch to cut in from the right time after time.

Like how Scott Arfield was first to so many balls in the middle of the park.

This wasn’t some European or world super-power embarrassing Scotland at times.

It was a team ranked 117 in the world for crying out loud, 50 places BELOW Strachan’s squad.

They’re one spot better than Nicaragua and one spot worse off than Botswana.

And yet here they were, causing our defence all sorts of problems.

Aird couldn’t believe his luck when he hit the net to fire Canada into an early lead.

When Lee Wallace slipped after a ball was played into the box from the left the Falkirk man must have been expected someone in a blue and white shirt to get to it first.

But the former Rangers player – whose time at Ibrox was in the lower leagues – was able to stroke a shot past Allan McGregor and into the net.

With the goal coming after just ten minutes Scotland had plenty of time to do something about it.

And there were a series of half-chances which came and went.

Oliver Burke had a shot saved after bursting through and Stevie Naismith had a glancing header which flew wide.

Canada continued to threaten too.

At one point Arfield brilliantly nut-megged Darren Fletcher before setting up Marco Bustos, but the striker couldn’t get his shot on target with McGregor a relieved man to see the effort fly past the post.

Scotland really had to get their act together and quickly, and after 34 minutes the equaliser came.

Wallace did well to get down the left and support an attack with the Rangers skipper cutting a ball back into the danger-zone after good play from Robert Snodgrass.

Canada keeper Simon Thomas tried to smother it but let it get away from him, with one of his defenders getting in his way.

Tom Cairney then smashed a shot at goal but Naismith was in the way of it and reacted cleverly to divert the ball into the back of the net.

It was a scruffy, ugly goal if truth be told but one which got Strachan’s side right back into the game.

Changes needed to be made at half-time, though, that much was obvious.

Strachan could have hooked any number of players but it was Burke and Wallace who were taken off with Andy Robertson and Barry Bannan thrown on.

In an attacking sense Wallace didn’t do badly at all in the first half but Burke was poor.

The Leipzig midfielder has so much going for him as a player with his pace and power there for all to see. But there’s no doubt he has a lot to learn at international level.

Scotland did all they could to raise the tempo in the second half but it was easier said than done.

Bannan could have scored on the hour mark but blasted over after good work to set himself up.

Seconds later Leigh Griffiths and Jordan Rhodes took the places of Naismith and Chris Martin with the Derby County hitman having another unconvincing Scotland appearance.

The big man is clearly a player Strachan likes given how many times he’s shown faith in him.

But this was a night when he did very little to impress.

His defence will be that he wasn’t the only one.

Going into the final ten minutes Canada looked as likely to score again as Scotland.

Man of the match Aird ran through the centre of the pitch and smashed shot which McGregor did well to save. Had it flew into the top corner it would have been no more than the wee man deserved, given how well he played.

At the other end Griffiths tried to win it for Scotland but dragged a shot wide.

It just wasn't to be with the game not finishing soon enough.

SCOTLAND RATINGS

ALLAN McGREGOR

Got a hand to Aird’s shot at Canada’s goal but was unable to keep it out. Did well to deny Jackson when he raced through and made a stunning second half stop from Aird from claiming another. 6

IKECHI ANYA

Looked to bomb down the right at every opportunity in the early stages and set up Naismith for an early header but was unable to get forward as much after the break and grew frustrated. 6

CHRISTOPHE BERRA

Made one timely challenge to stop Bustos in front of goal, headed wide from a Snodgrass corner and should have done better when another Snodgrass free kick picked him out unmarked in front of goal. 5

CHARLIE MULGREW

Caught out at Canada goal when he pushed Tissot’s cross into Aird’s path but made decent block to stop Jackson from making it 2-0 and was not afraid to push forward to provide an extra option. 6

LEE WALLACE

Gave ball away for move that led to Canada goal but was a threat when he got in behind Canada defence and his low cross opened up defence for Naismith equaliser. Replaced by Robertson. 3

DARREN FLETCHER

Skipper fired one effort wide early on and broke up countless Canada attacks to get Scotland going forward again. Linked up well with new boy Cairney in the centre of midfield. 6

TOM CAIRNEY

Handed his debut alongside Fletcher and was neat and tidy in the middle of the park. Helped set up leveller when his shot was turned home by Naismith and used the ball well throughout. 6

STEVEN NAISMITH

Headed wide early on from an Anya cross and was then in the right place at the right time to level as he turned home Cairney’s shot from close range. Replaced by Rhodes. 6

ROBERT SNODGRASS

Hit the post in the 13th minute with more of a cross than a shot but his touch let him down when Griffiths played him in and seemed slightly off pace all night. 5

OLIVER BURKE

Had one effort blocked early on and then raced through on goal in the 32nd minute only to be denied by a decent save from keeper Thomas. Replaced by Bannan at half-time. 3

CHRIS MARTIN

Denied by a good stop by Thomas after Cairney played him in but struggled to otherwise get a kick out of Canada’s two centre backs and could struggle to get the nod on Sunday. 5

SUBS

ANDY ROBERTSON

Did well on left and brought some much needed pace and energy. 3

BARRY BANNAN

Forced Thomas into one decent stop and looked lively. 3

JORDAN RHODES

Starved of service. 2

LEIGH GRIFFITHS

Fired one shot wide but had little opportunity to impress. 2

JOHN McGINN

Given a run out on his own turf. 2