You don’t want to get caught wandering around late on a Friday night in the North of London wearing pink shirts, that’s for sure. Because you might just end up with a sore face.

Yes, England stuck the head on Scotland three times and with each crunching blow, they didn’t just help themselves to three Group F points, they also left Gordon Strachan bloodied and bruised and contemplating the end all over again.

It’s likely now that once he has cleaned himself up the Scotland manager will opt for a far safer existence in the sanctuary of some TV studio. This may prove to be one beating too many for a man of such professional pride and patriotism.

Gordon Strachan (Image: Getty)

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If he does go - and with Scotland now careering out of contention along the supposed road to Russia 2018 it seems likely that he will - then at least he can console himself with the knowledge that at the very least Scotland went down fighting for 49 minutes or so until they had been KO’d for the second time when Adam Lallana added to Daniel Sturridge’s first-half goal to double England’s lead.

After that this spirited Scottish rebellion was over. And, just to make sure, Gary Cahill crushed home a third goal on the hour.

Gary Cahill of England celebrates scoring

Scotland’s players had given the manager their lot but ultimately they were undone and undermined by the same old failings which have crippled this entire campaign. They can’t keep goals out at one end and they can’t put them away at the other. No matter how many attempts Strachan has made to change this, he has been unable to make a telling difference and that will pain him as much as the thumping nature of this defeat.

If ever a team selection was an admission of previous mistakes, this was it. Strachan did not just tweak his side from last time out in Slovakia, he ripped it apart.

Finally Griffiths was handed a start (Image: PA)

Only three survived the cull, Grant Hanley, Darren Fletcher and Robert Snodgrass. The rest were wiped out by a tidal wave of changes.

Craig Gordon in goal for a competitive international for the first time in seven years.

Ikechi Anya at right-back – even though the Derby County man is the height of nonsense – Christophe Berra at centre-half and Lee Wallace on the left of an overhauled back four.

Attack dog Scott Brown back, snarling and growling in the centre of midfield flanked by James Forrest on the left and backed up in the middle by James Morrison. And yes, finally, Griffiths leading the line.

My goodness this felt like a throw of the dice, a last stand and a Hail Mary all rolled into one teamsheet.

It really was extraordinarily bold but this was the night for it. This was the night Scotland puffed out its chest and rediscovered its swagger. And boy did it feel good.

From the moment Strachan’s pink shirts first appeared from the tunnel for the anthems – jeered in equal measure at both ends of the ground – to the minute of remembrance, observed immaculately against a distant rumble of a police helicopter’s rotors, this place was supercharged. Even the silence seemed to crackle, so strong was the voltage.

And the intensity of it all transmitted to these Scotland players who went about their work as if they had spent the afternoon plugged into the national grid.

First into every tackle. Sharper, faster, brighter all over the pitch.

Scotland's Scott Brown at full-time

Brown led the way in all of this. He was everywhere and when Wayne Rooney fouled him petulantly during this opening, it was an indication of English frustration. They did not like it one bit.

In contrast to Scotland’s high-energy approach, Southgate’s players were plodding around the pitch almost as if all this running about business was beneath them. They were so laborious that it felt almost awkward to watch.

Every now and then one of them would be caught napping by a Scottish scurry and on several occasions in the first half, Griffiths was only a big toe away from getting in behind.

Infuriatingly, when the Celtic striker did race clear – played in by Jordan Henderson’s sloppy play – he opted to go for glory when he ought to have slipped a pass into the path of Robert Snodgrass who had an even better view of England’s goal. That was a sore one.

But by this point Scotland were also dealing with the pain of conceding at the other end.

Sturridge sends his header beyond Gordon for the opener

Daniel Sturridge of England celebrates scoring

The breakthrough came in 23 minutes and it didn’t half knock the wind out of these garish, day-glo sails.

First, Brown was caught out by Raheem Sterling’s change of direction on the edge of the Scotland box. By giving Brown the slip, the Manchester City winger made just enough room to crack off a shot which thudded into the torso of big Hanley and knocked him down.

With Hanley out of position, the ball broke to Kyle Walker who fizzed a cross into the space that the Scotland man was meant to be defending. Daniel Sturridge was then able to glide through unchallenged and flash a header way beyond Gordon’s reach and into the keeper’s net.

And just like that, in spite of all their good work, Scotland found themselves behind.

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Strachan probably sensed then that this would not be his night but, first, all hope had to be exhausted.

The manager winced soon after when, as Scotland attempted to hit back quickly, Hanley headed a Snodgrass corner over the top from six yards when unchallenged.

A real howler that summed up the gulf in quality.

It was not long after this that Griffiths opted to ignore Snodgrass and as these chances came and went, Scotland’s luck was clearly running out.

If only Fletcher could have found the target rather than slice over the top in 33 minutes after some fabulously intricate passing involving Forest, Brown and Morrison, Scotland might have gone in level at the break.

It had been all Scotland once more with the rampaging Wallace creating two chances in quick succession with raids down the left. The first was screwed horribly wide by Forest who really ought to have fired Scotland a lifeline.

Then Wallace teamed up with Brown to break through England’s defences again but this time Snodgrass saw his shot diverted by John Stones, who stuck out a leg at the crucial moment.

Seconds later, only despair was left as England raced up the other end to show off their clinical side for a second time, with Adam Lallana steering another perfect header home after connecting superbly with a cross from Danny Rose.

It was heartbreaking stuff now and although Scotland’s players continued to chase lost causes they knew the game was up on the hour when, once again, they failed to defend properly at a corner kick, and Gary Cahill thudded home a third.

Craig Gordon of Scotland reacts as Adam Lallana of England scores

End of the World? It is for this fan

It was lamentably simple for the Chelsea man too, rising at the front post to meet Rooney’s cross and head Scotland into a state of submission. It was over now, this brave last stand. And it was in danger of complete collapse.

Had Sterling not missed a sitter from a yard out less than 10 minutes later then it might have got very messy indeed.

At least Strachan was spared from something so savage. But, even so, this did feel like one beating too many. He’s unlikely to hang around for another.