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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
James Cairney

Steve Clarke proud of disciplined Scots as Spain are put to the sword

Steve Clarke was proud of his hard-working Scotland players as the national team recorded a shock 2-0 win over three-time European champions Spain.

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay scored early on in each half to leave the hosts in control at Hampden and the players got the three points over the line with a determined display.

The result leaves Scotland top of Group A with two wins from two ahead of the next international break in June and while he was full of praise for the team’s performance, Clarke was careful not to get carried away in the aftermath of the historic victory.

“Delighted with the performance,” he told Viaplay. “I thought the players were outstanding from first minute to last.

"The dynamic, enthusiasm and quality of the team didn’t change. It’s a big night, it feels like a step forward, but it’s only six points and you don’t qualify with six points.

“We didn’t have an awful lot of possession, but what we did have, we used very, very well. The defensive shape was good, the distance between the units was really good, which stops a large part of Spain’s game. All the credit goes to the players on the pitch – they’re the guys that have to do the hard yards.

“It was competitive. One bad game can set you back, so we stay focused and keep our feet on the ground.

“When you look at the stats, you know you’ve been out-passed, but when you look at the shots on goal, shots on target – it’s almost equal. It means we utilised the ball very well when we had it, which is obviously pleasing.

“I’ll have a couple of quiet days to calm down, and then we start preparing for two big games, because June could be a pivotal month for us.”

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