Levein is left angry and perplexed by referee’s late penalty decisions

Captain Darren Fletcher had restored the home side’s lead in the 81st minute after Kenny Miller’s first-half opener had been cancelled out by Jaroslav Plasil.

With a minute to go, and the Tartan Army prepared to celebrate victory in the crunch Group I qualifier, Blom adjudged Scotland substitute Danny Wilson to have tripped Jan Rezek inside the box and Michal Kadlec equalised from the spot.

In a frantic finale which saw the home side piling forward looking for the winner, Blom booked Christophe Berra for simulation after the Scotland defender went to ground following a challenge in the Czech box by Roman Hubnik.

Scotland remain five points behind the second-placed Czechs and although Levein’s side have a game in hand against Lithuania at Hampden on Tuesday, they are left probably having to win away against runaway group leaders Spain in their last game to have any chance of a play-off spot.

The Scotland boss was in no doubt as to who was to blame for the Scots’ predicament.

He said: “(At the time) I couldn’t see the first one, whether there was contact on their player but I could see there was contact on Christophe. But I saw them again on television. There was no contact on their player and there was contact on Christophe.

“So you would need to ask the referee why he made two such major, major mistakes. It beggars belief that he could make two mistakes of such magnitude.

“It is easy for managers to blame the referee for the players’ inadequacies but when we have two stark decisions like that, then I can’t do anything but say to you that they cost us the game.”

Levein added: “I was waiting around to speak to him afterwards but I thought, ‘what’s the point?’

“So I went back in to the dressing room to calm down a bit.

“It’s a real sore one for us. We did so many good things, we showed great resilience and played very well at times and to lose the match through circumstances that we can’t control is a real sickener.

“I don’t know how the process works in UEFA, whether somebody will look at his performance and he will miss out on future internationals because of those two decisions but that isn’t my concern now, I am looking to Tuesday.”

Charlie Adam, Phil Bardsley, Alan Hutton and Craig Mackail-Smith are all doubts while Kenny Miller and Scott Brown are suspended after picking up bookings, although Steven Whittaker returns from a ban. “Craig has a back problem and we will look at him again (today) to see if there is any improvement because obviously he would certainly come in to contention,” said Levein.

“We will see if I bring anyone else in but it gives opportunities for other people.

“I don’t feel particularly low. I am annoyed by what’s happened.

“The players are very angry as you can imagine, they did everything and we certainly haven’t given up on qualifying. We are getting better.”