Steve Clarke made his managerial debut for Scotland in June, when he watched his new-look national team clutch a narrow 2-1 victory over Cyprus.
Despite chances, the tie remained goalless at the break – not the comfortable lead many were hoping for.
The deadlock was broken at the hour mark though, when Captain Andrew Robertson took matters into his own hands, firing his team in front with a powerful strike from outside the area.
The Hampden crowd were up on their feet for Ryan Fraser’s and StephenO’Donnell’s attempts on goal but the final finish was not there this time.
It was an all too familiar scene when Cyprus equalised with five minutes remaining. Kousoulos was left unmarked on the six-yard line nodding in from a corner to draw the visitors level.
But Scotland bounced back two minutes later when substitute Oliver Burke hit the post with a glancing header. Luckily, he was there to tap-in to an empty net on the rebound to give Scotland the victory.
Scotland’s luck wasn’t to be forever, however, when they came up against the Belgian giants at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
The first half had been full of meticulous defending and very little chances for the Scots, with a heartbreaking end to the 45 when McTominay’s 5-second switch off cost a goal in the form of a Romelu Lukaku header.
To go in level at half-time would have been considered a small victory in many eyes against the ranked number one team in the world, and Belgium only added salt to the wound with a second strike from the Manchester United frontman in the 57thminute.
The final nail in the coffin of this defeat was late in the game with a final minute goal from Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
One of Scotland’s only chances to grab a goal came in the ninth minute when striker Oli Burke got in behind Belgium’s defence through a cleverly-flicked Armstrong pass, but Burke’s first touch wasn’t quick enough and his strike flickered past the post.
The man of the match in a Scotland top had to be goalkeeper David Marshall who batted off chance after chance, including a stunning free-kick from 25 yards.
This means that Scotland has taken six points from a potential 12 and face strong opponents Russia and Belgium in the next round of qualifiers in September.
It may seem a near-impossible task to qualify for a major tournament for the first time since 1998, but something the Tartan Army is always full of is hope.
Photo Creds – Craig Edwards
