Scotland escaped embarrassment as they notched an unconvincing 2-1 win over Group C makeweights Belarus to take another step towards the 2026 World Cup finals.
On a night Steve Clarke took charge of the national side for a record-breaking 72nd time, striker Che Adams fired the home team ahead after 15 minutes to give the Scots the interval lead.
Carlos Alos’s side had a goal disallowed in the second half for a foul on Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay in the build-up before the Napoli star struck in the 84th minute with a finish from 10 yards.
Belarus substitute Hleb Kuchko reduced the deficit in the sixth minute of added time and in a qualification section that might come down to goal difference – Belarus lost by five to Greece and six to Denmark – the Tartan Army had hoped for more goals and a more fluid performance.
Nevertheless, the Scots have 10 points from 12 as they prepare to travel to Greece and host Denmark next month to conclude the quick-fire qualification campaign.
Clarke had to reshuffle his side due to the suspension of midfielders Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson while Aaron Hickey’s knee injury forced him out.
The Scots showed five changes with defenders Anthony Ralston, Jack Hendry and Scott McKenna and midfielders Kenny McLean and Billy Gilmour coming in.
However, Clarke’s men had an unconvincing start and Hampden held its breath when Belarus defender Pavel Zabelin headed just over the bar from a corner.
Scotland edged in front, however, when Adams took a Hendry pass into the box, turned neatly and drilled the ball low past Belarus keeper Fedor Lapoukhov and while the offside flag was immediately up, the VAR Ovidiu Hategan confirmed the Torino forward was onside and instructed Romanian referee Marian Barbu to award the goal.
The expected Scotland surge did not materialise – Ben Gannon-Doak was getting joy down the right but his final pass was missing – but to end a well-worked move Adams knocked a pass from skipper Andy Robertson past the post under a challenge from Zabelin and a VAR check for a possible penalty brought no luck.
McTominay had an early second-half effort saved by Lapoukhov and Gilmour drove over before fellow midfielder John McGinn had a fierce drive parried clear by the Belarus keeper.
However, there was no dark blue onslaught.
There was another long VAR check for a Scotland penalty when Belarus defender Yegor Parkhomenko tangled with Adams inside the Belarus box but referee Barbu checked his pitchside monitor, called over both captains, Robertson and Aleksandr Martynovich, to explain he was awarding the visitors a free-kick for an Adams handball.
Moments later, in a swift 65th-minute Belarus move, German Barkovsky crossed for Evgeni Malashevich to convert from eight yards and after again checking his monitor, Barbu chalked the goal off for an earlier foul on McTominay.
Then Adams used his hand to knock in a Gannon-Doak cross and he may have been offside too.
Scotland needed a second goal to relax as the match entered its final stages.
The second goal came when McGinn battled to keep possession on the left-hand side of the box, before squaring for McTominay to sweep the ball into the corner of the net but there were plenty of nerves in the final moments after Kuchko drove in for the visitors deep in added time.
PA
