Substitute Beattie burst into the box in the 89th minute and forced home a dramatic winner to give Scotland a 2-1 win in their Euro 2008 qualifier.

Keeper Craig Gordon believes Scotland may have felt obliged to push forward in Bari had they only picked up a point at Hampden.

With just one defeat in eight games on foreign soil, Scotland have shone when defending deep away from home and Gordon believes such an approach could reap rewards against the World Cup winners.

The Hearts goalkeeper said: "It looked as if it was ebbing away towards a draw and I think we would have been a bit disappointed if we had to go over to Italy and really push and try and win that game.

"That takes the pressure off, we're still going over to get a result but you have to win your home games in this group.

"I think we would have taken four points from the two games. We will go over there and we will try to defend very well and we'll be organised and we will try and hit them on the break, similar to what we did here against France.

"We ended up winning that game so it's not outside our capabilities to go over there and win.

"I think we do tend to have our best games when we are playing slightly more defensively and hitting teams on the counter attack.

"We do have pace to worry teams when we play that way so hopefully we can do that again."

Kris Boyd headed Scotland in front early on and Gary Teale missed a sitter as the hosts looked to wrap up the game.

But Shota Arveladze's 40th-minute leveller had been coming and Scotland looked like they had run out of ideas before Beattie popped up with a last-gasp clincher.

Gordon said: "We worked very hard for what we had to get in the end. We knew we had to dig deep and show a bit of character.

"I don't think they surprised us, we knew they were going to be a very good team and there would be stages in the game when they would have the ball, they are technically a very good side.

"We knew we would have to defend really well and use the ball very well when we had it.

"We had a game plan we tried to stick to and more often than not we were trying to play to our strengths, and eventually it paid off for us."

Gordon was pleased Alex McLeish's reign got off to a good start.

McLeish stepped in with the Scots top of Group B and at a record 16th place in the FIFA rankings, but Gordon feels such success had a lot to do with previous boss Walter Smith and the work ethic he instilled in the squad.

The 24-year-old said of McLeish: "He's very thorough in his preparations and that's exactly what this team needs, we are not a team of stars.

"We have to be very well organised and work for each other."

David Weir believes Scotland would have gone into Wednesday's clash in confident mood even without Beattie's late winner.

The Rangers defender said: "Morale is good anyway, it's a great camp to be part of.

"There were four guys left out today and they are in the dressing room as happy as everybody else.

"Even guys who weren't in the squad are in the dressing room, so that tells you what kind of atmosphere we have got here."

The 36-year-old added: "I think the first half we played really well and should have been two or three up, and lost a goal.

"We were disappointed with that, we are not happy with the way we conceded. Second half they were trying to hit us on the counter attack and we were throwing men forward so it was in doubt, and we were delighted to see the goal go in at the end."

Weir hailed new central defensive partner Stephen McManus and the other two players in the back four, Graham Alexander and Gary Naysmith.

"I thought we did well," the former Everton defender added. "We are disappointed with the goal but other than that I thought we did well.

"Stephen McManus was outstanding, I thought he did really well for a second cap. The full-backs were really good as well."

Weir admits a productive defensive display would satisfy him in Bari. "You always try and win games, that's what we're here for, but I can't deny a draw wouldn't be too bad."