Scotland played out their friendly against Austria in Vienna on Wednesday night with political bombs seemingly going off everywhere. As if the John McBeth saga with Fifa had not been eye-popping enough, the SFA admitted that their next chief executive was going to be Gordon Smith, erstwhile BBC pundit and tabloid newspaper columnist.

Even Alex McLeish, emerging from a satisfied Scotland dressing-room after the 1-0 win, looked amazed at hearing that his old mucker, “Smudger” Smith, was to be his new boss. As someone said to McLeish: “You know what this means Alex, don’t you . . . Gordon Smith will be the man who eventually sacks you.”

McLeish, at least, had good things to savour on the field. The exercise had been aimed at honing a bedraggled Scotland squad for Wednesday’s Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Faeroe Isles in Toftir and Garry O’Connor’s 58th-minute winner for Scotland was something to savour. The goal also sent the 1,500-strong Tartan Army regiment into considerable delight.

Barry Ferguson, the Scotland captain, summed up the mood in the visiting team’s camp. “We never used to win these games, so I’m delighted,” he said. “The gaffer said to us that we had one more week of work before our holidays, and to go out and give it everything.

“We’ve been on fire in training and the spirit in the squad is fantastic. We will not go to the Faeroes overconfident. I know from past experience — when we went over there [in 2002] and it was 2-2 — that it’s a wee, tight park and bobbly. It’s not the nicest of places. So we won’t go [complacently] but to get the right result.”

While it was hilarious to behold the SFA officials reeling from the political ructions, there were some notable aspects on the field.

Allan McGregor, the Rangers goalkeeper, had a smooth international debut, coolly clutching a series of crosses and shots and O’Connor’s return to the Scotland fold was also something to relish. “He’s taken a few knocks and has bounced back, and it could be the making of him,” McLeish said.

With Darren Fletcher and Shaun Maloney also making valid contributions, and with Scott Brown, the Celtic midfield player, a possibility to rejoin the squad next week, suddenly things are looking a little brighter for McLeish.

O’Connor’s goal was welcome, even if he appeared to dither over it. Having taken Kris Boyd’s pass, O’Connor cut one way and then the other, confounding the hapless Austria defenders before bashing a low left-foot shot past Helge Payer, the Austria goalkeeper, from 15 yards.