Burley will be hoping for another set of favourable results on Wednesday night

By Keir Murray

Scotland fans, desperate to experience the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the World Cup in France 11 years ago, will seize upon anything that offers hope of qualification.

And on Saturday, Scotland manager George Burley had one of his best days in charge, despite his team not playing.

For in Group Nine, Iceland, one of Scotland's rivals for the runner-up spot, lost 2-1 to the Netherlands in Reykjavik.

The win for the Dutch secured their place in the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer.

But more importantly for the Tartan Army, Iceland's defeat meant they did not pull level on points with Scotland.

And in the group's other Saturday match, there were no goals in Macedonia's tie with Norway, the latter once more under the guidance of Egil Olsen, who led them to World Cups in 1994 and 1998.

That result for Norway was, of course, better than Scotland managed in Skopje last September when they withered to a 1-0 defeat.

But it dented both the Macedonians' and Norwegians' chances of finishing runner-up in the group.

As it stands, Scotland are in second place, having played five and won seven points, Iceland have played six and and have four, Macedonia have played five and are on four points and Norway have played four but have just three points.

So, without kicking a ball, Scotland's chances of claiming one of the group runners-up places have been given a boost.

Scotland's Group Nine results so far Macedonia 1-0 Scotland (6 September 2008) Iceland 1-2 Scotland (10 September 2008) Scotland 0-0 Norway (11 October 2008) Netherlands 3-0 Scotland (28 March 2009) Scotland 2-1 Iceland (1 April 2009)

Incredibly, after that opening defeat by Macedonia, after Chris Iwelumo's horror miss in the goalless draw against Norway at Hampden, after a drubbing by the Netherlands, after "Boozegate" and the expulsion of Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor from the squad, Scotland still have a chance of reaching South Africa.

Clinching second place has been the goal for Burley all along.

While his prediction of amassing 17 points in the group has already been scuppered - the most Scotland can now earn is 16 - finishing second to the Netherlands is a possibility.

Luckily, it is not just Scotland who have lost to the Dutch - they have won all six of their matches to date.

And, so far, Scotland are the only other team in the group to have registered more than a solitary victory.

Only four points separate the four hopefuls in Group Nine: the also-rans are jogging at much the same pace.

The nine group winners in the European qualifying section progress automatically to South Africa.

The best eight runners-up are divided into four two-legged play-off ties scheduled for 14 and 18 November, the winners booking their place in the World Cup Finals.

Since Scotland's group has just five teams and the other eight have six teams each, matches played against the sixth-placed finishers in the other groups are discounted when working out the eight best runners-up.

Iwelumo misses an open goal against Norway on his debut for Scotland

So although a quick glance at Groups One to Eight shows the runners-up have between 10 and 13 points, the Tartan Army need not be too downhearted, because some of those points will be docked, depending on who finishes bottom of those groups.

For example, Switzerland, currently in second place in Group Two on 13 points, are one team that provide Scotland with a glimmer of hope.

Assuming Moldova remain rooted to the bottom of that qualifying section, Switzerland will lose six points from their final tally because they beat the lowly Moldovans home and away.

In effect, then, in terms of the runners-up places, they have seven points from six games, not an ominous 13.

On Wednesday, Macedonia face Iceland and the Netherlands play Norway and either of the following could happen.

Macedonia and Iceland continue to cancel one another out and produce a draw, while the Netherlands, freed from pressure, deliver a flowing display of football to almost end Norway's World Cup aspirations.

This is the dream scenario for Scotland.

Remaining fixtures in Group Nine Macedonia v Iceland, Netherlands v Norway (10 June 2009) Norway v Scotland (19 August 2009) Iceland v Norway, Scotland v Macedonia (5 September 2009) Scotland v Netherlands, Norway v Macedonia (9 September 2009)

On the other hand, wins for Macedonia and Norway would provide those nations with such a fillip that Scotland's visit to Oslo in mid-August and their Hampden tie against Mirsad Jonuz's Macedonians in September would become even stiffer tests.

Of course, no matter what happens in Skopje and Rotterdam on Wednesday, Scotland have to deliver their part of the deal to the nation.

If, by default, some countries are helping others to help themselves, Scotland must do all they can to secure points in the matches against Norway, Macedonia and the Netherlands to aid their own qualification chances.

If Scotland can go into the final match against the Dutch needing a win, one reading of the history books shows it can be done.

In the first leg of the play-off for the Euro 2004 Championship, a goal at Hampden from James McFadden was enough to defeat Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert et al in November 2003.

Another scan of those same record books, though, might reveal the subsequent 6-0 drubbing by the Netherlands in the return leg.

But, hey, that was on foreign soil.

If things go well on Wednesday evening, the Scots will be in a position they dread.

They will be - whisper it - favourites to clinch second place.

Moreover, if Scotland do win the place behind the Dutch, such an achievement might put Scotland in yet another uncomfortable situation.

That of being eliminated as the lowest-placed second-place team.

It would be all too typical of Scotland to be drawing 0-0 against the Netherlands on 9 September, with eighth-best second place in the bag, only for a late winner in another group's match to edge Burley's team out on a pitiful measure like goals scored.

Three wins in the remaining three matches would, of course, prevent that particular nightmare occurring.

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