The final televised debate before Scotland’s independence referendum on 18 September had pro-independence leader Alex Salmond trouncing the leader of the “Better Together” anti-independence movement, although it’s not certain that a good debate performance will translate to a win at the polls.

Salmond bested Alistair Darling by 71 percent to 29 percent in a Guardian/ICM poll of Scots who watched the debate.  However, the so-called “poll of polls” – an average of the most recent six – shows support for a breakaway stands at 43 percent against 57 percent for staying in the UK.

Nationalist Salmond relentlessly talked over Darling, badgering the former British finance minister with the same set of questions that Darling didn’t seem to answer.  Likewise, Darling repeatedly pointed out that the Scottish National Party hasn’t revealed any “plan B” in case its rosy path to independence doesn’t go as planned.

In a previous debate, Salmond was stumped by the issue of an independent Scotland’s currency.  He advocates a formal currency union with England to keep using the Pound.  But all three major UK parties have ruled out such an arrangement.  This time around, Salmond was more confident.

“I want a mandate so we can go in with the will of the Scottish people, for the common sense option of a currency union,” Salmond said, predicting that English monds would change in the face of a Scottish independence vote.  “We cannot be stopped from using the pound anyway,” he added to applause from supporters.