SCOTLAND made a winning start to their European Championship qualification campaign as John McGinn’s first-half goal and a late double from substitute Scott McTominay settled some nerves that had started to jangle a little around Hampden Park.
Here are five talking points as the Scots eventually got off to a flyer…
STEVE CLARKE’S MAN DOES IT AGAIN
It is remarkable to think that before Clarke was named Scotland manager, McGinn had yet to find the net for his country. Since September 2019, he has now hit 16, making him seventh in the all-time list of Scotland goalscorers, now one ahead of James McFadden.
So, as the song goes, Steve Clarke’s man he certainly is, and the Scotland manager has to take a fair bit of credit for the way he has got the best out of the Aston Villa midfielder and turned him into a bona fide Tartan Army talisman.
McGinn might not be the most refined footballer of all time, but by recognising his qualities as an attacking player and utilising him in a more advanced position, Clarke has unleashed his potential to cause chaos for his country.
His goal here wasn’t one of the many collector’s items he has racked up in the dark blue so far, but it was crucial in the context of the game and the group. Cyprus came to sit in and frustrate, and they were doing just that until Scotland turned the ball over and Stuart Armstrong released Andy Robertson down the left.
The captain’s cross took a nick off St Mirren’s Alex Gogic, and landed perfectly for the arriving McGinn to volley the ball home at the back stick from close range.
AARON HICKEY OOZES QUALITY
Just as Scotland have been blessed on the left side of the field with Robertson and Kieran Tierney, so too do they now have an embarrassment of riches on the other side of the field in the form of Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson.
It was Hickey who was preferred here by Clarke, and the Brentford man was arguably the best player on the pitch.
The skinny prospect at Hearts has now emerged via Bologna as a strong, athletic player who is every inch the archetypal modern full-back. He showed an impressive turn of pace here and was hugely assured in possession as he pressed down the right at every opportunity.
He almost had a goal to round off a brilliant display, just failing to get on the end of Robertson’s low cross at the back stick, but he had plenty to be proud about in an accomplished overall display.
MIDFIELD QUESTIONS FOR CLARKE AS MCTOMINAY STAKES HIS CLAIM
The Old Firm axis at the heart of the Scotland functioned well in the first half here, with Callum McGregor his usual hive of activity at the base and Ryan Jack doing well to push up the park a little further to good effect both with the ball and without.
Indeed, Scotland often looked at their most dangerous when Jack led the press high up the field and Cyprus ceded possession, exactly the scenario that allowed the Scots to transition quickly and get in behind the packed Cypriot defence for the opening goal.
After the break, as the game got a bit stodgy, the control that Scotland had exerted in the first half in the middle of the park slipped away a little. Jack tired, and it was only when the fresh legs of McTominay were introduced that Scotland took a grip of the game once again.
The Manchester United man proved a huge goal threat too, bursting through to get onto a Lyndon Dykes knockdown and slam into the roof of the net to finally put the game to bed with a few minutes left.
He had time to get another, finishing cooly from 10 yards after being picked out calmly by Robertson.
The devastating cameo from McTominay will have given Clarke food for thought ahead of Tuesday night, with so many options available to him.
ANGUS GUNN HANDLES DEBUT WELL
If you are going to make your debut for your country as a goalkeeper, a home game against Cyprus is a pretty decent one to ease you in. Particularly when they are set up as defensively as they were here by manager Temuri Ketsbaia.
There wasn’t much for Gunn to do as he made his Hampden bow, but save for a little first-half slip that had Tartan Army hearts in mouths, he did what was required of him well enough.
There was one shot in the first half from range from Grigoris Kostanos that was straight at him, and that was about it really until six minutes from time when he fielded a deflected effort from substitute Andronikos Kakoulli well.
His handling was sound, his kicking decent, but a sterner test of his credentials awaits against the Spaniards.
CHE ADAMS INJURY SWEAT FOR SPAIN
The Southampton striker limped off during the second half, seeming to pick up a knock when going down under the challenge of Gogic, who had marshalled him very well to that point in all fairness.
Adams hadn’t been at his best, and Dykes did well when he came on, posing a physical challenge to the Cypriots and getting an assist for McTominay’s first goal.
Still, Clarke will hope that he has the pace and the power of Adams to call on when taking on Spain, with the forward rarely letting him down since coming into the squad.
