Russell Martin urges Scotland to seize the moment and keep World Cup dream alive

Gordon Strachan's side face a crucial World Cup qualifier in Vilnius, with their hopes of progress once again hanging by a thread.

But Norwich defender Martin reckons victory over Edgaras Jankauskas' side, followed by another win in Monday's Hampden clash with Malta, could fire them back into contention as the Group F race enters the final straight.

Slovakia, who currently sit second, four points in front of the Scots, take on third-placed Slovenia and leaders England this weekend and Martin hopes results elsewhere will open the door for Scotland to make a late run to next year's finals.

We all feel there's an opportunity to be grasped here,'' said the centre-back, whose side finish their qualifying campaign with an October double-header against Slovakia (home) and Slovenia (away).

We have got a game on Friday that if we get the right result sets us up nicely for the last three.

I think we've got a chance to build up some momentum now with the games we have left, especially if you look at the other fixtures this weekend.

Come the end of these two games, the table could look massively different to the way it is now, setting us up for two huge final games.

We have to make sure we do our job and not worry about what's happening elsewhere.

But if we do get the results we want this weekend, we could be going into these last two games with the group looking much more favourable to us and that's the aim.''

Scotland's chances of ending a 19-year absence for major tournaments nosedived as they took just four points from the first 12 available.

But March's narrow win over Slovenia left them clinging on until their Glasgow showdown with England earlier this summer.

A famous win looked on the cards until Harry Kane struck in stoppage time to claim a 2-2 draw for Gareth Southgate's men, but, while the Tartan Army were left to lament the result, the performance against the Auld Enemy has raised hopes amongst supporters that a spectacular comeback might be possible after all.

Russell, however, insists that even during the dark days of this campaign, no-one inside Strachan's group ever gave up.

He said: I think the England game has recharged everyone on the outside, but we inside the squad never lost that inner belief that we can qualify.

We knew how difficult the first four or five games would be and what we were up against.

I think we were prepared for that performance in June, even if no-one else saw it coming.

During the week building up to the game you could see the focus and the energy in the boys. We all knew how big it was for everyone.

We are disappointed afterwards not to win it. The dressing room afterwards, which should have been happy and buoyant at getting a result, was flat because we knew we had played so well.

If anything we are a bit more hungry now to win this next one and make sure we are still in the mix come the end.''

At 31, Martin knows he might not have too many shots left at reaching a World Cup or Euros.

And that realisation, he says, will ensure that he and the older members of Strachan's squad battle right to the line.

There's always pressure because you are playing for your country,'' he said.You are carrying the hopes of a nation who are desperate to get back to a tournament, especially given the success of Wales and Northern Ireland recently.

The only pressure we have to focus on is our own one - that internal pressure we have to put on ourselves to try and be in amongst it.

The reality for some of the older boys is that this might be our last chance to qualify for a major tournament.

It's not one last battle cry, but the reality of football is that the game moves on really quickly.

There are a lot of people in there who will be desperate to get to Russia and will put pressure on themselves.

But the outside stuff you have to shut yourself out to that. We are well aware of what people expect and the game against England has shown we are hopefully capable of trying to give them that.'

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