Tartan army in tatters

Berti Vogts has vowed not to quit as Scotland manager despite last night's crushing 4-0 defeat against Wales.

A hat-trick by Robert Earnshaw and a Gareth Taylor strike at the Millennium Stadium ended Wales's seven-game winless streak and gave Vogts one of his most depressing nights since taking charge two years ago.

But the German insisted he would not walk away from the job. He said: 'I have a contract to 2006. I am not here for only one or two years. It is a long-term thing.

'There are a lot of young players with potential and that is important but the result and the performance were bad, I know that. Maybe it would be easier to go home but I am not going to. I am disappointed and I understand the Tartan Army are very disappointed.'

Although Scotland were hammered 6-0 in their last game against Holland to deny them a place in the finals of Euro 2004, Vogts said it was the lowest he had felt since a Hampden Park friendly defeat by Austria early in his reign.

The plaudits last night went to Cardiff City striker Earnshaw, who became the first player to score a hat-trick for Wales since Ian Rush in 1992. It took 22-year-old Earnshaw's international tally to six goals in 10 games and his season's haul to 27.

Manager Mark Hughes said: 'Ernie was electric all night. He is a young man still with room to improve, but if he keeps working hard he can be as good as he wants to be. Only Ernie can stop himself now. He has the talents to play and score at a higher level and hopefully he will get the chance of playing in the Premiership at Cardiff.'

Hughes is also confident Wales will win their appeal to UEFA over disqualifying Russia from Euro 2004. 'I feel we have a good case. We think a wrong has been done and we hope UEFA will see that.'