Scotland has not missed the Tartan army too much when they won a crucial world cup qualification victory against the Belarus.
Fans who made the trip to Hungary were excluded from the ZTE arena, the hosts were ordered to play in camera in a neutral place due to the support of the country to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
It was calm, but Steve Clarke’s team made their presence felt while Scott Mctuminay drew widely before Billy Gilmour’s efforts were turned on the post.
Che Adams stabbed Mctuminay’s house just before half-time with Zakhar Volkov noding Gilmour’s head in his own net in the second half to ensure victory.
Scotland enters the double head at home against Greece and the Bélarus to Hampden Park next month with four points of six on the road, two clean leaves and the possibility of relying on a good start, while Denmark’s 3-0 victory in Greece also wins them at four points, but with a slightly better difference in goals.
Solid Start in Scotland on the right track
Billy Gilmour (Center) of Scotland famous after Zakhar Volkov of Belarusian scores a own goal
After a demanding evening in Copenhagen, Clarke refreshed his side while the winger Ben Gannon Doak came with Max Johnston, Scott McKenna and Billy Gilmour who also start.
In the 15th minute of a match which returned at the time, there was a penalty cry when Gilmour went to the ground inside the Bélarus box under a challenge by Kiryl Pechenin but the referee of Montenegrin Nikola Dabanovic was not interested.
At the other end, a pechen’s head required a safeguard of the Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
The match was warmed up and Gilmour, defender John Souttar and midfielder Scott Mctuminay all had various efforts on the objective of the Belarusses – and the Napoli midfielder claimed in an unconvincing manner for a penalty when he did not compete with Yegor Parkhomenko inside the Bélarus box – but the opening would not have come.
Adams opens the scoring
As half-time approach, Gannon Doak installed Gilmour and his powerful journey from 20 meters was placed on the post and by Fyodor Lapoukhov.
The Belarus goalkeeper was finally beaten when the delivery of John McGinn’s search to the rear post was raised by Mctominay with Adams bringing together the ball from a yard, his first goal since he scored a hat -trick against the Liechtenstein in the friendly match of June.
A second goal was necessary to relieve the nerves that surfaced with sporadic attacks from the Belarus and this came when the Volkov without luck redirected a head of Gilmour’s Cross in its own net.
Ben Gannon-Doak (right) started for Scotland in Hungary
If this is not resigned to defeat, the Bélarus did not do much to suggest that there would be a return with McGinn and Adams testing their defense and their goalkeeper late.
There will undoubtedly be more difficult to pass tests before Scotland can reserve its place in the World Cup final for the first time in 27 years.
Scottish World Cup qualifications
- Greece (H) – October 9
- Bélarus (H) – October 12
- Greece (A) – November 15
- Denmark (H) – November 18
