Last-gasp victory over Poland was proof that Steve Clarke has Scotland shifting in the appropriate course as soon as once more, writes JOHN McGARRY
There was always more at stake for Scotland in Warsaw than survival in the top tier of the Nations League and the distant prospect of finishing second.
Some 148 days after presiding over a pitiful performance as the side exited the Euros, Steve Clarke’s reputation was also on the line.
As welcome as they were, a point against Portugal and a win over Croatia were never going to be enough to yet turn the page on that darkest of nights against Hungary in Stuttgart.
This, then, was a chance for Clarke to redeem himself and demonstrate that he’d learned from that catastrophic episode.
Even before Andy Robertson’s thunderous header flew into the net, the display was about as far removed from that awful denouement in the summer as you could possibly imagine.
From the first whistle, Clarke’s men showed ambition and quality. They didn’t keep the ball for the sake of it. They passed it forward with tempo and purpose.
Steve Clarke hails skipper Andy Robertson after his header won the game for Scotland
Ben Doak again provided both flair and impetus for Scotland down the right flank
Clarke had been coy about playing the youngster but he started the game against Poland
They created more chances than they’d have dared to imagine.
They earned the breaks that occasionally came their way and were deserving of the lead John McGinn gave them with their first surge up the park.
Having given all they had, it would have been cruel in the extreme if Poland had claimed a draw through a spectacular strike from Kamil Piatkowski.
Even if it had ended that way, however, this show would have offered far more positives than that lamentable night against the Hungarians.
The team is now evidently in a different place. Robertson’s bullet of a header in the third minute of time added on sealed a famous win which was no more than they deserved.
While the result in Split did not go our way in terms of the seeding for the World Cup draw, there is a renewed spirit and optimism about this side.
After narrowly losing the first three games of this section, Scotland have finished with two wins and a draw. The difference from a few months ago is stark.
And after righty being criticised for his ultra-cautious approach in the summer, Clarke deserves huge credit for that.
Billy Gilmour proved a key man in Scotland’s midfield, always looking composed on the ball
As tough as the prospect of being a pot three seed for the World Cup draw is likely to be, it does feel like a corner has been turned.
Clarke had been coy on about whether he’d play Ben Doak from the off, but you always sensed that he would. We’re beginning to know what we get with this prodigiously talented 19-year-old.
You give him the ball, he turns some of the best defenders around inside out, they can’t see him for dust and then he moves onto his next victim.
If there are rough edges still to be smoothed off, his explosiveness off the mark is arresting.
He tormented Josko Gvardiol and Duje Caleta-Car last time out. Now it was the turn of Nicola Zalewski and Jakub Kiwior. How they suffered here.
It would do the Ayrshireman a huge disservice to suggest he has nothing but pace to offer. Make no mistake, he can play too.
Picked out by Billy Gilmour’s exquisite pass inside three minutes, he displayed the calmness and composure of a seasoned international to pick out McGinn.
The Aston Villa man placed his right-foot shot in the only place the goalkeeper couldn’t reach.
Watching Scotland defend this year has been a painful experience. With 16 goals conceded across seven matches stretching between June and October, there seemed to be scant hope of turning the form around.
Back-to-back clean sheets against Portugal and Croatia gave the team the platform needed to get off the mark in Group A1 of the Nations League.
Even with Robert Lewandowski injured, a Poland team that were smarting from their 5-1 hiding by Portugal had quality in Karol Swiderski and Adam Buksa.
On another night, they could have had a hatful of goals to go with the three they claimed at Hampden but Clarke’s men were having none of it.
It started with Robertson beginning his 80th cap with a brilliant recovery block to deny Sebastian Szymanski.
By time up, you lost count of the number of times Anthony Ralston, John Souttar and Grant Hanley had followed suit. One goal-line block by Souttar at the start of the second half defied belief.
Behind them, Craig Gordon blocked, punched and held anything that was fired his way.
But this was no reenactment of the Alamo. Although Scotland had to suffer at times, their football was intelligent and enterprising.
They were patient when required but went for the jugular when it was on.
Gilmour hit the bar. Scott McTominay struck the post. You feared these would be small but important margins.
There wasn’t a thing anyone could do about Piatkowski’s equaliser just before the hour mark. Two goalkeepers wouldn’t have saved it.
A while ago, that blow would have floored Clarke’s players, but they are made of sterner stuff now as evidenced by the astonishing finale.
We’ll have to wait until the play-off in March to see if Scotland can stay afloat in the top tier, but everything here suggested the team is finally moving forward again.
