Scotland 2 Cyprus 1: Burke strikes late to get Steve Clarke era under way with a win

As much as the Scotland captain and new European Cup winner will cherish his peach of a first goal for his country at the stadium he graced for a year in the colours of Queen’s Park, it wouldn’t have tasted anything like as sweet if it hadn’t helped Scotland to a crucial victory. As Scotland travel out to Belgium with a spring in their step, he will surely savour it a little bit more than either of his two previous goals at this venue, which arrived seven years ago in a 2-1 loss to East Stirling and a 1-1 draw against Elgin City.

READ MORE: Scotland 2 Cyprus 1: Oliver Burke snatches late winner to give Steve Clarke a triumphant start

Clarke cut as low key a figure as ever but the announcement of this eldest of eight Saltcoats siblings as Scotland manager had clearly swelled this Hampden crowd. Perhaps there some giveaways in there too, but 31,277 were in here last night for a match which contained bucketfuls of late drama. If he didn’t know how much this job would put him through the wringer, he does now. He fairly leapt up in celebration when Burke tapped in after his own header from a Fraser cross came back to him off the inside of the post.

He had named nine of the 11 who flopped against Kazakhstan in his first squad as manager but only four of them made it into his first starting line-up. Midfield mainstays Callum McGregor and John McGinn kept their places, with Kenny McLean – scorer of his first goal for his country against San Marino – preferred to Scott McTominay and Stuart Armstrong as the deepest lying midfielder.

With Killie work horse Eamonn Brophy handed his first start up front, this was Clarke 101; a team who condense the space for their opponents to play in, allowing wide men and full backs like James Forrest, Ryan Fraser and new European Cup winner Andy Robertson to penetrate. Captained by former Rangers player Giorgos Efrem, Cyprus travelled with a mainly home-based squad, but a 5-0 win against San Marino and a 2-0 defeat to Belgium were better than anything Scotland had done thus far.

READ MORE: As it happened: Scotland 2-1 Cyprus | Burke scores late winner

There was plenty of intent from Scotland. Forrest wandered in off the right, exchanging passes with Fraser before pinging a strike over the crossbar. Charlie Mulgrew forced a save from Urko Pardo from a free kick, and Brophy couldn’t direct a header on goal.

But perhaps the two clearest openings of the half came at the other end. Wing back Antreas Makris, who providing nuisance value in an attacking sense down the right, got a clear sight at goal after some rash Scottish defending but his shot was straight at David Marshall, the Hull City man who has been linked with a back-up role with Anfield. The goalkeeper also had to dive to his right to keep out a low shot at the other end from Pieros Sotiriou.

Having said all that, Clarke had a couple of memorable blasts at the SFA’s refereeing fraternity whilst at Kilmarnock and he was entitled to have another winder about Mr Nilsson of Norway last night after Scotland were denied a penalty five minutes from half time. Sensing a Fraser’ cross was going beyond him, Ioannis Kousoulos instinctively put his arm out, the ball striking him on the bicep. It was a far clearer penalty than the one against Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko which helped make Andy Robertson a Champions League winner but Mr Nilsson said no and Scotland didn’t have VAR to help them.

A few boos rang out around Hampden at half time, confirming once and for all that a Scotland manager’s honeymoon period is never guaranteed to last more than 45 minutes. With Russia and Belgium both cantering to victories, the desperation for a goal was growing. Scotland were holding out for a hero.

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But cometh the hour, cometh the captain. Fed by John McGinn, Robertson strode on and lashed in a 25-yard strike which was past Pardo and into his top corner for an instant. It was his third Scotland goal in total and his first at this ground for seven years.

Scotland could have made things easier on themselves – and their manager. Stephen O’Donnell almost made it two, running on to a Fraser pass but clipping the ball narrowly past the post. Fraser couldn’t beat the inspired Pardo either and how Scotland were almost made to rue their lack of potency. Anthony Georgiou levered over a corner, Robertson lost his man in the traffic and Sotiriou headed past Marshall and into the bottom corner.

Somehow Scotland regathered themselves, McTominay fed the ball wide to Fraser and Burke showed his prodigious leap to get on the end of a Fraser cross, his ball directing the ball past Pardo but off the post. The goal was gaping three yards out but in the maelstrom it was still a testament to the striker that he had the composure to tuck it away.