HE may no longer possess the sort of agility and lightning-quick reactions which enabled him to leap Dick Fosbury-like and tip a dipping John Toshack shot onto his crossbar in that epic World Cup qualifier between Scotland and Wales at Anfield back in 1977.

Yet, Alan Rough showed he was still pretty light on his feet yesterday as he jumped to the defence of Craig Gordon in the wake of that agonising 2-2 draw with England at Hampden on Saturday.

What is more, the 53-times capped goalkeeper wasn’t slow in coming off his line to block the flak flying in the direction of visiting stopper Joe Hart following his failure to keep out those two late Leigh Griffiths free-kicks.

Gordon has been blamed by many members of the Tartan Army – who feel he was badly at fault for both the Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opener and the injury-time Harry Kane equaliser – for the failure of the national team to record what would have been a famous victory in the Russia 2018 qualifier.

But Rough, who was working as a pundit at the Group F encounter for STV, is adamant the Scotland midfield and defence must shoulder most of the responsibility for both of goals they conceded.

“If Craig was going to criticise himself it would be for his actions way before the Oxlade-Chamberlain goal at the Tierney passback,” he said. “He never dealt with it and that is where the trouble came from.

“But once the throw-in came in the people in front to of him weren’t doing their job. And if you really look at it you can see the shot from Oxlade-Chamberlain goes through Stuart Armstrong’s legs. It comes to him very, very late.

“I know it comes right at him. Your natural reaction is to stick your hand up there. If you get the break of the ball you keep it out. Unfortunately, it just hit his hand and went into the net.

“But, initially, Scott Brown has got to put in a better tackle on the edge of the box. I think everybody was frightened to tackle Oxlade-Chamberlain because of the pace he was going at. They all just got in a line in front of Gordon.

“Yes, Craig is just watching the ball. But it comes through Armstrong’s legs and he only catches sight of it at the last minute. It is not as if it has been struck from 18 to 20 yards away. In those situations, it is just a case of putting your hands up and hoping you get a deflection.”

But surely Gordon should have come off his line and plucked the Raheem Sterling cross which Kane volleyed home in the 93rd minute out of the air? Not necessarily, according to Rough. He is adamant that Christophe Berra and Charlie Mulgrew were culpable. “Craig has got two centre halves in front of him,” he said. “He will have been looking for one of them to get a head on it. If they don’t do what they’re supposed to do then it’s too late for the goalkeeper.

“Craig is professional enough to go away and analyse it. He himself will know he could have done better. If you have a look back at it, either Christophe Berra or Charlie Mulgrew have to deal with the ball coming into their box.”

But Rough, who played for Scotland in both the 1978 and 1982 World Cups, feels that the criticism which has been aimed at Hart would be bettered directed at his defensive wall. “Until you actually have to stand there and deal with it you have no idea what it’s like,” he said. “Joe Hart has just been beaten by two terrific free-kicks.

“I think the defensive walls could both have done a wee bit better,” Rough added.

“It is so difficult with how light balls are now. Technique-wise, strikers are so good.”