Scotland secured a 2-1 victory over Belarus at Hampden Park, but the performance left manager Steve Clarke furious despite the result moving them closer to World Cup qualification. Goals from Ché Adams and Scott McTominay were enough, but the team were outplayed for long spells by the world's 100th-ranked side.
Adams opened the scoring in the first half, finishing from a Jack Hendry pass after a VAR review overturned an initial offside call. However, Scotland failed to build on the lead, with Belarus dominating possession and creating numerous chances. The visitors had 22 shots on goal and were denied a second-half equaliser by a controversial VAR decision that ruled out a goal from Yevgeny Malashevich for a foul on McTominay in the build-up.
McTominay scored the decisive second goal late on after Aleksandr Martynovich failed to clear a cross from Andy Robertson. The Napoli midfielder showed little celebration, reflecting the team's frustration with their display. Belarus continued to press and nearly snatched a draw, with Hleb Kuchko causing problems in added time.
Clarke did not hide his disappointment, calling the performance 'way below par' and saying he was 'as disappointed as I have been during 72 games in charge.' He added, 'We just didn't turn up. It is head-scratching.' Despite the poor showing, Denmark's win over Greece meant Scotland secured at worst a World Cup playoff berth.
The victory leaves Scotland with 10 points from four games, but questions remain over their ability to compete at a higher level. Clarke expressed faith in his squad, saying, 'I am very confident they will be in a much better place next month.'
