Walter Smith included four Kilmarnock players in his starting line-up, including Scotland’s top scorer, Kris Boyd. However, with the scheduling of the game idiotically timed to coincide with Rangers’ crucial Champions League decider, and the freezing conditions, it was no surprise the attendance was limited.

The only player with an international cap in the home side was David Marshall, the Celtic goalkeeper, although Gary Teale, the former A*r United winger, at least represented the Barclays Premiership, with the Wigan Athletic midfield player given a chance to impress.

Marshall twice had to be alert in the early stages when he sprinted from his goal to collect the ball ahead of Ireneusz Jelen and then safely held a drilled long-range effort from Pawel Brozek, of Wisla Krakow. The Poles, of course, had every reason to be interested in this game because there were places at stake in next year’s World Cup squad.

Scotland took 15 minutes to venture upfield with intent and Nick Montgomery, the Sheffield United midfield player, struck an excellent 30-yard attempt that was flying in at the far post before Lukasz Fabianski, the Legia Warsaw goalkeeper, flung himself to his right to tip the ball around his post. Gary McDonald then had the ball in the Poland net, but he was clearly offside.

Poland nearly took a deserved lead in the 20th minute in bizarre circumstances after slicing through the Scotland defence. Jelen, from Wisla Plock, cut the ball past Marshall across goal. Adam Virgo still had time to clear the ball or bring it under control though. Instead, the Celtic defender scuffed a panicky slice against the inside of his own post and could count himself fortunate the danger was then cleared.

But then Scotland scored a slightly unexpected opening goal in the 38th minute. McDonald got his reward after he initially saw his fiercely struck shot brilliantly saved by Fabianski on his right, but the goalkeeper had no chance when the resulting cross from Teale took a deflection off a Polish defender and landed invitingly in front of goal for Killie's Gary McDonald, who could not miss with his close-range header.

Smith introduced Alan Combe, the Kilmarnock goalkeeper as well as Lee Miller, of Dundee United, and Jamie McAllister, of Heart of Midlothian, in place of Marshall, McDonald and Darryl Duffy. And Miller netted with his first touch when he took advantage of Boyd dummying Teale’s cross and finished with a lovely dink over the goalkeeper two minutes into the second half.

Scotland were denied another goal on the hour mark when Boyd headed Teale’s cross back across goal and it clearly struck the arm of Pawel Magdon. Boyd then saw Scotland’s’ another “goal” ruled out by the offside flag when he delicately lobbed the goalkeeper.

In contrast to the majority of the first half, Scotland looked in control now and Boyd was again denied a “Made in Kilmarnock” goal when he nodded Garry Hay’s superb delivery straight against Jaroslaw Bieniuk, the Poland captain.

Scotland were cruising at the end and even had their third disallowed effort when Miller clipped Boyd’s intelligent cross into the net with the linesman’s flag again the enemy.

Crowd: 3,092

SCOTLAND (4-4-2): Marshall (Celtic; sub: Combe, Kilmarnock, 46), Nielson (Heart of Midlothian), Hay (Kilmarnock; sub: Wallace, Celtic 61), Greer (Kilmarnock), Virgo (Celtic; sub: Berra, Heart of Midlothian, 71), Teale (Wigan Athletic), Robson (Dundee United; sub: Kerr, Dundee United, 61), McDonald (Kilmarnock; sub: McAllister, Heart of Midlothian, 46), Montgomery (Sheffield United), Boyd (Kilmarnock), Duffy (Falkirk; sub: Miller, Dundee United, 46).