Scotland moved joint second in Group D courtesy of a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in their Euro 2016 qualifying clash at Celtic Park this evening.

Shaun Maloney got the only goal of the game for the hosts, curling an effort into the far corner with just 15 minutes remaining.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed during an enthralling 90 minutes in Glasgow.

SCOTLAND

Goal

David Marshall: Displayed exemplary handling when coming out to claim crosses into his box. Also made a very good stop to deny McGeady in the second half. (8/10)

Defence

Steven Whittaker: Solid performance filling in for Hutton and Bardsley, both of whom were injured. Coped with McClean well down his flank and made some important interceptions. (6/10)

Russell Martin: Rarely won the first ball against Walters or Long, but otherwise coped with the duo fairly well. Ireland struggled for clear chances, and Martin played a part in that. (7/10)

Grant Hanley: Perhaps lucky to avoid a red card in the first half for a foul on Long, in addition to a wayward arm connecting with the face of Forde. Also fortunate to see his late header strike his own crossbar rather than going in. Defensively, though, he was sound for the most part. (6/10)

Andrew Robertson: Put in a performance full of energy that saw him race up and down the left flank all game. Started the match brilliantly and, while he faded a little as the game wore on, he was always a useful outlet for the hosts. (8/10)

Midfield

Shaun Maloney: Made the difference with a brilliant goal, curling his effort past a helpless Forde from the edge of the box. Was also something of a creative force throughout and looked as likely as anyone to make something happen for the hosts. (8/10)

Charlie Mulgrew: Was a strong presence in the middle of the park, helping Scotland to get the better of their opponents in that area. Missed a decent chance of his own in the first half, but did his best work in central midfield. (7/10)

Scott Brown: A typically robust performance from the skipper, who put in a number of forceful challenges throughout the match. Also picked up the assist with a clever flick to Maloney. (7/10)

Ikechi Anya: Struggled to get the better of Coleman in the first half, but got a little more joy after the break. Was a good outlet for the hosts with his pace and trickery on the flank. (7/10)

Attack

Steven Naismith: Put himself about up front and certainly didn't give Ireland's defence an easy time of things. However, he couldn't make a telling impact on the match as the hosts managed just two shots on target. (6/10)

Steven Fletcher: Missed two very good chances in the first half, including one where he tried to flick the ball home instead of sweeping it in with his weaker foot. Limped off in the second half, although the injury does not look too serious. (5/10)

Substitutes

Chris Martin: Missed a great chance to open the scoring having replaced Fletcher 10 minutes into the second half. Redeemed himself to an extent by holding the ball up well in the closing stages, though. (6/10)

Darren Fletcher: Came on for the final two minutes of normal time as Scotland looked to run the clock down. (6/10)

IRELAND

Goal

David Forde: Only had two shots on target to face, and could do nothing about one of them as Maloney's effort flew past him and into the far corner. (6/10)

Defence

Seamus Coleman: Was very good defensively in the first half, continually getting the better of Anya due to his positioning and reading of the game. Struggled to get forward as much as he would have liked, though, and was sometimes left exposed to both Anya and Robertson. (6/10)

Richard Keogh: Solid performance having replaced the injured Wilson in the side. Could do nothing about the goal, and kept Fletcher and co relatively quiet throughout. (6/10)

John O'Shea: Once again looked to lead by example, putting in some important clearances when his side were under the cosh. There was no repeat of his dramatic equaliser against Germany, but overall it was a solid display. (6/10)

Stephen Ward: Struggled to deal with Maloney at times, and looked like the weakest point of Ireland's back four on the night. (5/10)

Midfield

Aiden McGeady: Struggled to make an impact in the first half having been targeted by the home fans due to his Scottish roots. However, responded with some dangerous play after the break, including drawing one good save from Marshall. (6/10)

Jeff Hendrick: Failed to really make an impact in the middle of the park, where Brown and Mulgrew were mostly in control for the hosts. (5/10)

Darron Gibson: Similar to Hendrick in that he failed to impose himself on the game as he would have liked. Is unlikely to have done enough to keep his place once McCarthy and Whelan return. (5/10)

James McClean: Never stopped battling and went on a few promising runs down the left flank, but often travelled into a cul-de-sac and had no way out. (6/10)

Attack

Shane Long: Continually made a nuisance of himself, but that was about all he could do tonight. Linked well with Walters at times, but never really troubled the Scotland defence. (6/10)

Jonathan Walters: Won the first ball more often than not, but his flick-ons were not utilised by those around him. Struck his own bar with a defensive clearance shortly before the goal. (6/10)

Substitutes

Robbie Brady: Replaced Long with just over 20 minutes remaining and caused problems with his delivery from set pieces. Failed to make a decisive contribution, though. (6/10)

Stephen Quinn: Introduced at the same time as Brady, but could offer little to turn things in his side's favour. (6/10)

Robbie Keane: Controversially left out of the starting lineup and only came on when his side were trailing with just over 10 minutes to go. As a result, didn't have enough time to find an equaliser. (6/10)