BLACKBURN Rovers captain Grant Hanley helped Scotland to a vital victory over Republic of Ireland in their crucial Euro 2016 qualifier at Celtic Park tonight.

The centre back played the full 90 minutes and made more interceptions - 15 - than any other player on the pitch as Shaun Maloney's brilliantly worked 75th minute goal earned Gordon Strachan's side a win that hauled them up to third in tightly contested Group D.

But Hanley had his heart in his mouth on more than one occassion on a breathless night in Glasgow.

He was lucky to escape a second yellow card in the first half and deep into injury-time at the end of a pulsating contest, he flicked an inswinging free kick from Ireland substitute Robbie Brady on to his own bar before the ball was hacked behind for a corner.

Rovers midfielder Corry Evans, meanwhile, played 79 minutes as Northern Ireland's winning start to Group F came to an end as they went down to a late 2-0 defeat in Romania, who moved above their opponents to the top of the standings as a result.