CRAIG Brown, the Scotland manager, was determined to remain positive when he talked after the embarrassingly narrow 3-2 win of his team against Malta last evening.

Brown did not hide his disappointment at the defensive slackness of his side but felt that there were compensations in the number of scoring chances created in the Ta' Qali stadium. Said Brown: ''The game was useful as a preparation for the World Cup tie next week. We were happy that we made 20 chances - 13 on target - according to the statistics. We were not happy in some aspects in defence and will have to improve there if we are to win in Belarus.''

Brown said that he was confident that the new players who have had to come into the defence because of the absence of Colin Hendry and Colin Calderwood would benefit from the two friendly matches against Wales and Malta. He added: ''They will benefit particularly from mistakes made.''

He rejected the implied criticism of the Yugoslav coach of Malta, Milorad Kusanovic, who had suggested that playing three at the back was dangerous. Said Brown: ''The Germans win everything by playing that way, and Dortmund won the Champions' Cup this week using that system. If it's done well it is fine and you have to remember that with our recognised central defence, we had a superb record over a long period.''

Brown said that he had taken off John Collins after the incident when the Maltese player, Colin Turner, was sent off for stamping on the Scot because: ''I felt it was best he didn't get involved.''

He added that his only injured player is John Spencer, who was the only one other than the additional keeper Scott Howie who was not on the substitutes' bench. Brown went on: ''I have to give credit to Malta for a good performance, but they always have been able to give us a good game.

''We've tried three defensive partnerships in the last three games and will continue our search using the tapes of these games and tapes of how Belarus play before we decide on the defensive set up for that game, but it would be unfair to offer any names just now.

''It is obvious there are not a lot of options, it will be three from four. When you lose your main two defenders it is difficult to get a new partnership.''

He pointed out that the eagerness of David Hopkin, the new cap from Crystal Palace, made things harder defensively because he was anxious to go forward.

''In the conditions, where the temperature may only be 13 or 14 but the humidity high, it is hard for players to find energy. Hopefully this experience will be helpful when they meet different conditions in Minsk.''

Scotland's scorer of two goals, Darren Jackson, wished to defend the new players who had come into the team. ''Hendry, Calder- wood, and Boyd have been superb central defenders and it's not easy for new players to come in and replace them. David Weir, Brian McAllister, and Christian Dailly are good players and they have impressed but they are inexperienced. As the manager has said, everybody has to defend from the front to the back, as well.''

Jackson, who shot over in the last minute, added: ''I thought you might mention that miss and I'm disappointed I didn't score but I have to be happy having scored two for my country.

The Maltese coach said he did not believe Belarus would be tougher opponents than Malta but added: ''I thought we showed we can play football and not just run about. In fact I thought the result could have been better for us.''

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