PAIN FREE &
Scots get off to a flier for once as they ease to victory against stuffy Cypriots
So this is what it feels like ... to start a Scotland qualifying campaign with no drama, no stress, no worries.
Three goals, a clean sheet, three points and up the road.
How often has that happened with the national team? It’s as rare as a Steve Clarke smile.
Since 2000, we’ve kicked off 12 group stages either for the World Cup or European Championships.
And we’ve won just THREE. Against those footballing big guns Latvia, Malta and the Faroes.
Normally these games are riddled with anxiety.
They leave you emotionally drained and – more often than not – dejected and disappointed.
But not now. This is a different Scotland under Clarke. Yesterday’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier wasn’t pretty at times.
A dogged Cyprus, an over-officious ref and a dodgy pitch made sure of that.
But it was comfortable for Scotland. And that’s an alien feeling to anyone who has followed this team for the last two decades. You can trust them.
A John McGinn goal in the first half – his 16th for his country – then a late Scott McTominay double at the end to seal the deal. Simple.
Well, it is when you’ve got a group of quality players at your disposal and a manager who knows what he’s doing.
Now he just has to get something off
Spain on Tuesday night – then the punters can really start to dream of Germany next summer.
In his 42nd game in charge, Clarke had a few key decisions to make with his team.
The shape was pretty much nailed on – his 3- 4-2-1 system is now a staple of this Scotland side.
It was more to do with his personnel. And the great thing is, he’s now got serious options.
He had to pick a keeper, for a start. And despite Zander Clark staking a legitimate claim, the manager was always going to go with Angus Gunn after persuading the Norwich City No.1 to switch allegiances from England.
At the back, Ryan Porteous got the nod on his 24th birthday ahead of the versatile McTominay while Aaron Hickey was always favourite for right wing-back with Nathan Patterson just back from injury.
Then it was about the make-up of his midfield. There might have been a few raised eyebrows at Ryan Jack’s inclusion over McTominay or Billy Gilmour.
But Clarke likes Jack’s partnership with Celtic skipper Callum McGregor, especially in games where Scotland will dominate the ball.
Ahead of them, the Scotland boss was spoiled for choice.
But he put his faith in Stuart Armstrong to break the Cypriot lines at the expense of Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson. As you’d expect,
Scotland started on the front foot. Strangely, the home crowd weren’t quite as up for this as you might have thought.
It felt a bit f lat. Maybe those past results in curtain-raisers were a factor.
A 3- 0 defeat to Kazakhstan four years ago left permanent scars.
The supporters were waiting to be entertained, expecting Clarke’s men to take care of business against Group A’s bottom seeds.
And it was actually Porteous who helped set the tempo.
The Watford centre-back looked at it and was zipping incisive passes into midfield to get us going.
Once they’d settled, Brentford star Hickey was first to test Cypriot keeper Demetris Demetriou.
Jack teed him up inside the box and the youngster forced Demetriou into a near-post save. Cyprus were restricted
to counter-attacks, one of which saw Armstrong pick up a booking.
But Scotland’s pressure was slowlyowly starting to build. And when the openerener finally arrived after 20 minutes, who else was going to get it?
The Tartan Army had sung his nameame at kick-off and McGinn paid them back,ack, as he always does.
Armstrong unlocked Cyprus’rus’ defensive line with a clever pass to the on-rushing Andy Robertson.
His cross took a nick off St Mirren’sen’s Alex Gogic – but that just set McGinnGinn up perfectly to volley home the openerener at the back post.
The Croatian ref made the crowdd wait during a VAR check for offside against the captain in the build-up – but the goal was good.
It was the dream start and prettytty much as Clarke would have plannedned it. Now, Scotland had to build on it. They were always in control but Cyprus were stuffy. It was about biding their time for the right moment.
They went close just before half-time when Che Adams forced a save from Demetriou after neat work by McGinn.
Scotland needed more of that after the break – but it didn’t quite happen.
Cyprus made the game ragged and scrappy, the ref was super-fussy and an injury to Adams, which forced him off, didn’t help. It
should have hav been 2- 0 when Robertson got free in tthe box but the skipper overcooked a sisimple pass for his team-mates sliding in tot score.
The Th subs, Christie and McTominay, almost alm combined for a second goal but Cyprus Cy were hanging in there.
The Th Manchester United midfielder could cou count himself unlucky not to start sta the game.
But B boy did he take his frustrations out ou on the Cypriots at the death.
Just as it was getting a bit sticky, he latched la on to a Lyndon Dykes knockdown d and stabbed it past Demetriou from fr close range to settle any nerves. And he wasn’t finished there. In stoppage time, Robertson laid it on a plate for him to make it 3- 0 with a ttidy finish – before Cyprus’ misery was wa complete when Nicholas Ioannou picked pic up a second yellow card.