It was the most dramatic night of the World Cup so far and, thank goodness, it was on the BBC.

Amazingly, Jimmy Hill, St Andrew's bow tie and all, was on perceptive form. 'Daveed' Ginola looks like he enjoys punditry more each time, and Alan Hansen is rock solid at the back.

Down in St Etienne, Ally McCoist was bubbling, with kindly Craig Brown looking ever more like Dr Findlay's colleague.

Surely, this time, nice guys could finish first, or at least runners-up?

Scotland were in traditional blue, not the wretched sub-Watford gear of the Norway game.

Barry Davies was hyping it as "the most important game in Scotland's history," but alarm bells soon sounded.

David Pleat, a manager with more than a hint of the Graham Taylors, described Jim Leighton as looking "as sharp as a tack".

Jim's electric plum kit was the tournament's best, but the Moroccans were a young (ie pacy) side and Scotland were nearly "makin' nice triangles" (Pleat).

A thunderous goal passed Leighton and you realised this was the Morroco so good for an hour against Norway, not the shower drubbed by Brazil.

Daveed loved Des's half-time "it's deja vu" but Des was as ever, right, and nobody bothered arguing with Craig Burley's red card.

With Norway awarded a late penalty, apparently because a Brazilian defender's car tax disc had expired, Morocco were as out of the World Cup as Scotland and magnanimity reigned.

What if Scotland had won 3-0 and still gone out?

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.