Scotland fans dejected after 0-1 loss to Morocco in Boston

Scotland fans at home and in the United States were left dejected after a 0-1 loss to Morocco in Boston.

After a 1-0 win over Haiti last Saturday, the defeat leaves Scotland possibly needing a result against five-time world champions Brazil in their final group game next Wednesday.

The match was shown in pubs and fan zones across the country, with the largest crowd at the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow.

There was stunned silence at the fan zone as Morocco scored after little more than a minute.

A couple of opportunities before half-time gave fans at Glasgow Green some hope.

A final corner in added time failed to produce an equaliser.

Weary and disappointed faces headed toward the exits in near silence.

Tens of thousands of Tartan Army members also watched the match in Boston.

Scotland fan Euan Forrest, from High Wycombe, was at Boston Stadium and said he felt deflated afterwards.

"We were hoping for a draw," he told BBC Scotland News. "1-0 isn't bad on paper but it's the manner in which we lost."

Another fan at the stadium said: "I thought we were going to score in the last couple of minutes, we were putting on pressure. But it just wasn't to be. The referee never gave us a thing the whole game. Part and parcel of being a Scotland fan, that's all it is."

At 76 minutes, an image of Donny Strathie, a Scotland fan who died in Boston on Sunday, appeared on the screen. Fans around the ground stood to applaud, as did Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

TRNSMT organisers DF Concerts secured a late licence to broadcast the match into the early hours of Saturday despite concerns from local residents.

Indie rock band Wolf Alice, second on the Main Stage bill, dedicated a song to Scott McTominay and urged the crowd to jump to an old favourite. Galway indie band NewDad said they were backing Scotland to win the World Cup.

The rain cleared before the match, which kicked off at 23:00 BST. Singer and piper Cammy Barnes returned to play Flower of Scotland on the pipes just before kick-off.

"When you cut the pipes off and the audience keeps singing, that moment can never be touched," he told BBC Scotland News earlier. "It's a proper hair up on your arms moment."

Other fan zones across the country also screened the match. In Glasgow, large venues including the OVO Hydro, Saint Luke's and the O2 Academy showed the game, though tickets were required. Dundee's LiveHouse and the Ice Arena in Kirkcaldy did the same. In Aberdeen, fans gathered at the Beach Ballroom, while the Gyle Shopping Centre in Edinburgh used a large screen. Smaller venues such as rugby and tennis clubs also hosted watch parties.

An impromptu ceilidh broke out at the Inverness fan zone. Revellers danced a Gay Gordons to Bits N Pieces, performed by Jarad Rowan.

A fan in Inverness told BBC Scotland News the Scotland team was "unlucky" but added he was "not deflated at all." "We'll see what happens at Brazil. We're in - next round for sure."

Fans at The Pitt fanzone in Edinburgh left downbeat. Conor McCourt called the first 45 minutes "awful" and said anything else would have been better.

Thousands of Scotland and Morocco fans attended Boston Stadium. Before the match, Tartan Army members said they were quietly confident.

Mike Noble travelled from Aberdeen to support Scotland. He watched the opening match in the city centre fan zone and said the win over Haiti persuaded him to buy tickets for Friday's game.

"It's cost me a new kidney, but it's once in a lifetime so it's worth it," he said.

Pubs welcomed large crowds after strong sales during the Haiti match. Louise MacLean of the Signature Pub Group told BBC Scotland it had been an incredible night. "My lord, did those tills ring," she said. "We had record breaking sales. That is a gift to a trade that has been so damaged over the past few years."

With the eight best third-placed sides from 12 groups also advancing, a draw could have left Scotland on four points. The loss means Scotland may need a result against Brazil next Wednesday in Miami to progress, or face an anxious wait on results from other groups.