And so it ends for Scotland. It always ends.

With a lament for what could have been and a story of near misses.

Scotland is out of the Euros.

Scotland believed they deserved a penalty when Stuart Armstrong was hauled down by Victor Orban.

The Tartan Army’s long march back to base, bedraggled and dejected, was accompanied by the drone of melancholy bagpipes.

This time, they were just seconds away from having to wait for the guillotine to fall, a living Euro 2024 death, a drawn-out limbo with only one possible outcome.

Perhaps it was wiser to take the deadly blow when Kevin Csoboth slid home in the 100th minute, leaving Steve Clarke’s men horribly exposed.

Scotland lacked the quality, belief, and conviction necessary for victory.

Indeed, if you don’t get a shot on goal until late in stoppage time, you’re unlikely to win.

Scotland faced familiar opponents from Eastern Europe

Those draws against Yugoslavia in 1974, the Soviet Union four years later, and Croatia’s humiliating defeat at Hampden in 2021.

Now 12 tournaments have been completed, 12 have failed to advance beyond the group stage, and it has been 28 years since the previous finals win.

Scotland failed to make a shot on target.

They failed to turn their possession into chances.

To be fair to Clarke, fate gave him and his squad a terrible hand here in Germany.

Lyndon Dykes and Ben Doak’s pre-tournament losses were worsened by Ryan Porteous’ red card against Germany, followed by Kieran Tierney limping out of the draw with Switzerland.

 

However, on a night when they needed to be more than the sum of their parts, Scotland fell short once more, with the only conviction coming from the stands.

This was a team that posed as much threat as a plastic dirk. There’s no threat. No penetration.

Yes, they dominated possession in the first half, with Billy Gilmour and Callum McGregor playing the strings.

But they never looked like generating problems for Peter Gulacsi, and Che Adams’ deficiencies were all too obvious.

The first 45 minutes saw more bookings than shots on goal, with Angus Gunn making the sole stop on Bendeguiz Bolla’s bouncing long-range strike, set up by Hungary’s Callum Styles, who was born in Bury.

Midfielder Styles, who chose Hungary through his ancestors, was then cautioned for a brutal lunge on John McGinn in the centre circle.

Andy Robertson’s starting position high on the left demonstrated faith in Scott McKenna, who replaced Tierney as the lone alteration from the team that drew with Switzerland.

However, the longer it went on, the more assured the Magyars appeared.

Dominik Szoboszlai squandered a free-kick opportunity, and when Adams transgressed again on the edge of his own area, the Liverpool playmaker nearly scored.

Scotland expected a shot and switched off entirely as Szoboszlai found the back post, relieved when defender Willi Orban’s header hit the crossbar.

Che Adams struggled on attack.

Szoboszlai had squandered another shooting opportunity just before the break, but it was a truly dreadful game, with no talent on display other than Adams’ 53rd-minute scoop over the top of Scotland’s first attempt.

That happened after McTominay ruled himself out of a possible last-16 encounter with his second booking of the tournament, and McGinn scampered away down the right with no options.

Neither side had demonstrated enough, but Scotland had another chance when Martin Dardai, up from the back, headed against his own shoulder and over the bar.

With 22 minutes remaining, a collision in the Scotland box left Hungary forward Barnabas Varga down and evidently in bad condition.

Some Hungarian players were in tears, forming a protective shield before screens were placed around the player, reminiscent of Christan Eriksen’s fall three years ago, as he was carried away on a stretcher.

But there was still a ballgame to be won, and Scotland petitioned for a penalty kick when Stuart Armstrong, who had replaced McGinn, fell down in the box after colliding with Orban.

Argentine reference Facundo Tello shook his head; the VAR did not interfere.

The injury meant an extra 10 minutes. Gunn denied Szoboszlai before substitute Csoboth slammed into the post as Scotland ran out of options.

Scoboth caught Scotland on the counter-attack as they pushed for the win.

Not to be. Once again. Perhaps it never will be.