McGinn stretches Scots’ perfect record against Cyprus

Scotland maintained their record of beating Cyprus on every occasion the countries have met when they prevailed in this Euro 2020 qualifier in Nicosia.

However, the Cypriots were aggrieved they had not been granted an early lead when they claimed a shot from George Efrem had crossed the Scottish goalline, but was not spotted by the officials.

Efrem – an Arsenal academy graduate who once had a spell with Rangers without playing a game for them – did get his name on the scoresheet just after the interval, when he volleyed home an attempted clearance by Declan Gallagher to make it 1-1.

The Scots had taken the lead after 11 minutes when Ryan Christie gathered a prompt ball from John McGinn and flighted a curling drive from 20 yards high into the far corner of the net.

It was McGinn who snapped up a pass from Greg Taylor a few yards out and shot past Urko Pardo to restore Scotland’s advantage four minutes after Efrem’s goal.

The result meant the Scots leapfrogged their hosts into third place in the Group I table. They will finish in that position if they beat Kazakhstan at Hampden Park on Tuesday, but the outcome was no certainty.

The Scots had an inferior share of possession and fewer shots and corners than Cyprus but, crucially, converted half of their opportunities.

Clarke said: “The win was crucial. It gives us the opportunity to get another three points against Kazakhstan to set us up nicely for the play-offs in March.”