SCOTLAND MATCHES at Hampden are becoming as addictive as the most powerful narcotic. In prolonging their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 their four home fixtures have involved half a dozen goals to trample the Faroe Islands, a momentous victory over France, a last-minute winner to defeat Georgia and, yesterday, an afternoon of punishing drama in which they flirted with the death of their chance to reach the finals.

One way or another they have hoarded maximum points in Glasgow, with plenty of sweat along the way. Whatever other accusations can be thrown at Scotland, short-changing their supporters isn't among them.

If they had failed to win this one there would have been lynch mobs marauding around Edinburgh to find Saulius Mikoliunas.

When Darren Fletcher stuck out a leg in the penalty area the Hearts winger took it as an invitation. Without the slightest contact he tumbled to the ground and the Slovenian referee, Damir Skomina, was suckered into the wrong decision.

Hampden simmered with resentment at the injustice and 50,000 pairs of eyes bored into Mikoliunas as the 61st-minute penalty was scored to equalise Kris Boyd's first-half opening goal.

Previous Scotland teams would have folded at that, accepting the invitation to fail and have someone else to blame. Alex McLeish and his players proved themselves capable of a resurrection.

They had 29 minutes to regain the lead and achieved it so comfortably that Hampden, panic-stricken at 1-1 with 15 minutes left, could bask in a two-goal lead and the certainty of victory for most of the final 10.

For McLeish there was the personal satisfaction of being handsomely rewarded for some bold decision-making.

Scotland were drowning in the second half until James McFadden came on for the ineffectual Gary Teale, Craig Beattie replaced the subdued Garry O'Connor and Shaun Maloney took over from Lee McCulloch. Together they refreshed Scotland and won the match.

Only in the cold light of day will McLeish assess the overall performance and address how Scotland often looked ordinary and lacking in ideas against the modest but organised Lithuanians.

The absence of any margin for error - a victory being essential ahead of the midweek trip to face France - made Scotland both energetic but nervous and several of their players gave patchy performances.

The back four was rarely tested. Stephen McManus, Jay McEveley, Scott Brown, Fletcher and the substitutes served McLeish particularly well while others faded out of the play in the spells when Lithuania impressed.

Scotland's goals were a delight. The opener was clever and wonderfully executed. Scotland won a free-kick and as the Lithuanians jogged into position, two Scots were a step ahead of them.

Boyd had the nous to make a run across the penalty area towards the front post and Fletcher had the vision and technique to deliver a perfect cross. Boyd edged in front of Andrius Skerla to dive and connect with a glancing header which sent the ball across the goalkeeper into the net.

The move happened so swiftly that even McLeish was caught unaware: he was scribbling in his notebook and looked up at the moment Hampden erupted.

The atmosphere demanded a bursting start from Scotland and they delivered with a forceful opening which would have been rewarded had goalkeeper Zydrunas Karcemarskas not pulled off a double save to keep out headers from Boyd and then McCulloch.

The goal gaped for McCulloch: his downward, placed header was the right choice but the lack of power made it a poor miss. There were few similarly clear chances for Scotland.

Lithuania's formation was more open than many had anticipated, especially in the second half, but they defended in depth and the poor quality of delivery into the penalty box undermined Scotland's efforts.

There was aggressive play to win possession in midfield, but a lack of poise against a robust Lithuanian side which was crisp in its passing and able to cope with the long balls or poor crosses shelled into their penalty area.

Mikoliunas was the day's villain. He already has baggage in Scottish football for barging into the assistant referee Andy Davis in a match against Rangers.

Here he united most of Hampden in venomous abuse. Supporters were in no mood to admire Tomas Danilevicius's composure in ramming the penalty straight down the centre of Craig Gordon's goal.

Amid all the resentment it was easy to overlook the inconvenient truth that Lithuania were worth their equaliser having come into the game after their own positive substitutions at half-time.

Scotland's nerves jangled for 15 long minutes. The players became irritable and stressed and the game, the entire campaign, was slipping away. If McManus had not raced to block a Mindaugas Kalonas shot they may have gone behind.

That was when McLeish gambled and made three big substitutions: Within seconds of his arrival the impish Maloney made the goal which turned the game Scotland's way.

Collecting Fletcher's corner he whipped over a hopeful but clever ball which squirted all the way to the back post where McManus raced in to leap and, although seeming to attempt a volley, force the ball into the net with his thigh. McLeish, naturally, claimed that the defender meant it.

By the time McFadden scored the third, Hampden was in the mood for some icing on the cake and the Everton man's serving was generous.

Fletcher's throw-in was fed across the edge of the penalty area by Boyd and McFadden placed his shot high into the top corner and Hampden erupted.

Scotland substitutes: McFadden for Teale 68, Maloney for McCulloch 76, Beattie for O'Connor 76 Not used: McGregor, Alexander, Caldwell, Hartley Booked: O'Connor 41, Fletcher 87 Lithuania substitutes: Mikoliunas for Morinas 46, Ksanavicius for Velicka 46, Jankauskas for Stankevicius 55 Not used: Grybauskas, Beniusis, Paulauskas, Zelmikas Booked: Velicka 21, Stankevicius 34, Karcemarskas 39, Zvirgzdauskas 56, Ksanavicius 64 Referee: D Skomina (Slovenia) Att: 51,349