Scotland midfielder John McGinn reflected on an emotional roller coaster ride in Warsaw after reaching a personal milestone, celebrating a stoppage-time winner and then receiving a setback after the final whistle.
McGinn sent Scotland on their way to a 2-1 win over Poland with his 20th international goal, which took him above Ally McCoist in fifth place in the national team’s all-time top-scorer list.
Andy Robertson headed home in stoppage time to seal a victory which allowed Steve Clarke’s side to leapfrog their hosts and avoid automatic relegation from the elite level of the Nations League.
For most of the game, Scotland were only one goal away from also overtaking Croatia into second place, a position that would have seen them qualify for the quarter-finals and book a spot among the top seeds for next month’s draw for the World Cup qualifiers.
🔢 The final standings in Group A1.
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 18, 2024
Tonight's win secures a play-off in March to retain our place in Nations League A.#POLSCO pic.twitter.com/PcbuBJZdgz
McGinn played the full game and did not hear Croatia had levelled against Portugal in Split, thus booking second place, until moments after the euphoria of Robertson’s winner.
Scotland were left to wait on their fate on both the Nations League – they will take on a League B runner-up in a play-off in March – and the World Cup draw, with their seeding dependent on results 24 hours later.
McGinn said: “It was a bit of a roller coaster out there. Delighted, a little bit of mixed emotions. At half-time we knew it was 1-0 to Portugal.
“The celebrations from the side, on the pitch, we’re not aware, but myself and the lads were driving the boys, ‘right we need a goal, we need a goal’ and then the celebrations from the bench, we thought, ‘right we’re in pot one’.
“So a really nice feeling to (potentially) stay in a division, but we wanted more, so a bit bittersweet, but a great win.
Robbo 🏴✊#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/8JqAmMKLod
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) November 18, 2024
“Andy Robertson has got a winning mentality, he was leading us at the back stick. He’s won the Champions League, Premier League, he’s got that drive in him.
“He was absolutely knackered out there, I could see that playing next to him, but he managed to find that little bit, which separates him from the rest of us, to power that in at the back post.”
McGinn drew level with record Rangers goalscorer McCoist on Friday when he netted a late winner against Croatia to seal Scotland’s first competitive victory in 14 months.
The 30-year-old, and those close to him, are finding it difficult to absorb the fact that he is now only behind Sir Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Hughie Gallacher and fellow former Hibernian hero Lawrie Reilly on the list.
What a start in Warsaw!
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 18, 2024
🥽 @jmcginn7#POLSCO pic.twitter.com/IPaz4HNajZ
“Aye, it’s mad,” said the Aston Villa captain, who won his 73rd cap in Poland. “My dad was over it again. He’s not one for emotional messages, but he sent a nice text to say it’s surreal seeing his boy in the top five of all-time scorers for Scotland, which is a bit mad.
“I’m sure I’ll wind up Ally McCoist the next time he’s commentating on a Villa game, but for us the most important thing was getting the win.
“We’ve been through a right rough spell, taking a lot of criticism, which has been deserved in the most part.
“Personally, long goal drought, club and country, but managed to get two in two and back on scoring form and back to winning ways for us.”
