SCOTS LOVE MCGINN FIZZ

Villa star serves up a treble in six-goal romp

doing all we can when we pick up poor results like the other night.

“I know it doesn’t make everything sweet again, but it makes it a lot more positive.”

Scotland were beaten 4-0 in Russia on Thursday and, though they can still make the finals via the Nations League play-offs, the top two places in Group I have been secured by Belgium, who won 2-0 in Kazakhstan yesterday, and Russia, 5-0 winners in Cyprus.

After Mcginn’s treble, second-half strikes from Lawrence Shankland, Stuart Findlay and Stuart Armstrong completed this easy win. Manager Steve Clarke said: “It was a good performance. It’s not often a Scottish team will run up six goals.” This was Scotland’s biggest win since October 2015, when they beat Gibraltar 6-0. Mcginn opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a deft touch on Ryan Christie’s shot and made it 2-0 from close range 15 minutes later. In first-half stoppage time Findlay headed Christie’s delivery towards goal and Mcginn turned and finished inside the six-yard box.

Conditions deteriorated in the second half with simple passes getting stuck in surface water.

Shankland rolled the ball home from 12 yards for 4-0 in the 65th minute, and Findlay headed home Christie’s corner from close range two minutes later before Armstrong benefited from a misunderstanding in the 87th minute.

San Marino keeper Aldo Simoncini picked the ball up outside his box, mistakenly thinking the whistle had gone for a foul, and Scotland found themselves with a free-kick 25 yards out. It was the chance for sub Armstrong to curl a beauty into the top corner.