A late goal from Eljero Elia ended Scotland's World Cup dream as Holland subjected George Burley's side to a 1-0 defeat at Hampden Park.

Scotland went into the final match of Group Nine against the runaway leaders needing a draw to guarantee second place, with Norway beating Macedonia.

But Scotland were left to rue a host of missed chances when Elia struck eight minutes from time.

David Weir failed to deal with a long ball and headed his clearance into the path of the Dutch substitute who made no mistake in rounding David Marshall to slot home on his competitive debut.

It was Holland who got off to the better start and Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt signalled their intent with five minutes on the clock when his left foot shot hit the post.

And the visitors carved Scotland open again on the half hour when Robin van Persie slipped in Arjen Robben, who could only fire a tame shot at Marshall.

But it was Scotland who bossed the latter stages of the first half and Scott Brown played in Kenny Miller, only for the Rangers striker to see his dipping volley crash against the crossbar.

And only a superb double save from Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorm stopped Scotland taking the lead just minutes later.

Vorm palmed Stephen Naismith's low 20-yard strike on to the post before saving the rebound at the feet of Miller.

It proved to be a night to forget for the hitman, who saw his snap-shot roll inches wide after the restart.

And Miller was left to curse his missed opportunities when Elia maintained Holland's 100 per cent record with his 82nd minute strike to break Scottish hearts.

How Scotland rated...

David Marshall – Called between the sticks at the last minute, Marshall brushed aside any memories of Oslo to pull of a host of crucial saves throughout the match. 8

Alan Hutton – Continued where he left off on Saturday, proved his worth against the best in the business, did well to deal with Dutch danger man Arjen Robben. 7

David Weir – Solid and experienced performance until a fateful moment in the final ten minutes of the game in which he all but gifted the Oranje a goal. 5

Stephen McManus – Gutsy performance alongside Weir, did his job to keep the Dutch at bay. Most of the traces of rust, which was apparent against the Macedonians, have been polished off. 7

Steven Whittaker – Matched his mate on the right at in attack but lapsed defensively at times. 6

Paul Hartley – Held his own against Van Persie, played his part in breaking down a number of worrying Dutch attacks. Safe. 7

Scott Brown – Half-latched on to a delightful Hutton cross early on, didn’t get under the Dutch noses as he did the Macedonians. Hard-working as always. 7

Darren Fletcher – Got under the skin of his opposite number early on and lead by example throughout. Passed with precision and tackled tenaciously, a good performance from the Scotland captain. 8

Steven Naismith – His inclusion raised a few eyebrows but he proved himself against world-class opposition, pestering Van Bronckhorst throughout. 7

Shaun Maloney – After he found his feet, Maloney was a danger to the Dutch defence but the wee man was unsuccessful in his quest to convert his chances. 6

Kenny Miller – Hit the woodwork once but had a glaring chance at goal, which he should have converted. Got under the skin of Joris Mathijsen and worked tirelessly up front, but ultimately failed to do his job and stick it in the back of the net. 7

Substitutes

Kris Commons – Had a chance to raise the roof at Hampden with a diving header late on, did his best to impact the game. 6

Gary O’Connor – Had two opportunities on goal during his short spell on the field, entered the game just after the Dutch scored. Found it hard to battle his way into the action. 5