Scotland fans detained by Moldova border patrol but forgiving cops give Tartan Army the VIP treatment

Moldovan police say five Scotland fans were detained for attempting to enter the country illegally.

Five Scotland fans had their route to Moldova thwarted after they were detained by border police for attempting to enter the country via Romania.

But Moldovan police were merciful as they only hit them with a fine before allowing them to watch the game on TV at a passport checkpoint.

The Tartan Army were only given 240 tickets for the clash in Chisinau but thousands made their way to Eastern Europe anyway to watch Steve Clarke 's team in action.

They weren't disappointed either as strikes from Nathan Patterson and Che Adams secured a 2-0 win that set the Scots on course for a World Cup playoff.

However five members of the travelling contingent didn't get the experience they'd planned - after they were stopped by cops for unknowingly entering the country illegally.

All's well that ends well though and after a fine, they were given shelter to watch the game at a border police outpost between Romania and Moldova.

A Moldova Border Police statement said: "A minibus with five UK citizens who were Scotland supporters, a US citizen and a Romanian driver was apprehended as they approached Chisinau.

"At the entrance to border control, the driver directed the minibus in the direction intended for the carriage of goods, without stopping at the control line. Then he left the checkpoint, moving towards Chisinau.

"The Border Police then started an official investigation.

"As a result, seven people were fined for violating the border crossing regime. At the hearings, they stated that they did not realise that they were already in the territory of Moldova.

"After the hearing, they were invited to watch the Moldova v Scotland football match at the headquarters of the Border Guard Service."