Three of the Dutch goals came from set-pieces

The Scots' dreams of reaching the Euro 2004 finals were crushed in ruthless fashion as the Netherlands ran out 6-0 winners.

Scotland's youngsters, who performed so admirably to set up a 1-0 win in the first leg of the play-off at Hampden, never got a look-in against classy and fired-up opponents.

Instead it was Dutch teenager Wesley Sneijder who stole the show, scoring the evening's first goal and setting up three others.

And Manchester United ace Ruud van Nistelrooy was able to claim the match ball after netting a hat-trick.

I can't believe we were so slack against world-class players Lee Wilkie

Three of the six goals came from set-piece deliveries from the 19-year-old Ajax midfielder and Wilkie admitted that should never have happened.

"I can't believe we were so slack against world-class players," said Wilkie.

"I am disappointed at the way we lost the goals.

"It is bad enough to get beaten 6-0 but to lose three goals from set-pieces makes it worse."

The Scots had arrived in Amsterdam on a wave of optimism after Saturday's battling win in Glasgow.

But the gulf in class was immense and Scotland did little to trouble the Dutch defence - save two Wilkie headers in the first half from Darren Fletcher free-kicks.

Rab Douglas picked the ball out of his net six times in Amsterdam

The Scots were completely over-run in the midfield and failed to cope with the loss of the suspended Christian Dailly, who played a key role protecting the back four at Hampden.

Manager Vogts opted to stick with his favoured 4-4-2 formation, with a midfield bereft of a defensive anchor.

"We needed them to have an off night and for us to be at our best, like we were on Saturday," continued Wilkie.

"Our attitude was the same at the weekend and (at half time) Tommy Burns and the manager told us to keep our work-rate up and continue to attack but it is hard when you are 3-0 down at half-time to a team like Holland.

"If we had kept them out a wee bit longer at the start it could have been different."

Captain Barry Ferguson denied that the heavy defeat had anything to do with the players being overawed by the hostile atmosphere in the noisy Amsterdam ArenA.

"It is a very sore one," said the Blackburn Rovers midfielder.

"We had to keep them quiet for the first 20 minutes but letting in a goal so early killed us a bit.

"All the team have played in front of big crowds before and that is the sort of atmosphere you want to play in anyway."