Scotland smash Gibraltar for six again after another Fletcher hat-trick

Fletcher soon had another great opportunity to break the deadlock, and again Robba was equal to it to keep his side in the game. It was a far improved performance by the 23-year-old overall compared to rival stopper Jordan Perez against Georgia.

Robba showcased his reactions once more in the 24th minute to save brilliantly from a close Maloney header, but the Tartan team finally found a way past him from the resulting corner.

This time there was nothing he could do, as Gordon Greer’s towering header looped goalward, which Chris Martin finished off.

Fletcher just couldn’t find the net in the first-half, as with 10 minutes to go he could only hit the woodwork. But Maloney finally did, and in style, as he cooly curled past Robba in the 39th minute to make it 2-0.

Gibraltar produced a better and more organised showing after the break, but could still not prevent goals going in.

Striker Fletcher was finally on target seven minutes into the second-half, nodding in from close range from Alan Hutton’s cross and, like London buses, he doubled his tally almost immediately, caressing it past the keeper.

Derby County duo Martin and Johnny Russell combined in an attempt to extend their lead, and the latter could and should have scored in the 66th minute but was high and wide.

GFA’s main man Walker came close to getting his side’s first competitive ‘home’ goal with 15 minutes to go, but was just wide from long range.

Fletcher, much the topic of this match, completed his second hat-trick against Gibraltar and of the qualifying campaign in style, by smashing past the keeper.

While Fletcher did eventually find the net in this match, Russell couldn’t get his first for his country, and at the death Robba kept his focus to make a good reaction save.

But Steven Naismith rounded off the scoring in injury time to give the visitors a credible 6-0 win, which at half-time perhaps didn’t seem possible.