John McGinn powers up Scotland scoring charts as Scott McTominay adds gloss to Cyprus win with brace - 3 talking points
dailyrecord.co.ukThe kit was a classic but the fixture isn’t one that will live long in the memory. But Scotland got the only thing that mattered - a winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.And it was that man John McGinn who was the Hampden hero once again to take his impressive tally for his country to 16 as he continues to power up the scoring charts with the Aston Villa man breaking a stuffy Cyprus side’s resistance in the first half.
Substitute Scott McTominay relieved any nerves with a late brace before the visitors were reduced to 10 men late on. The challenges in Group A will get tougher - this opener was against the weakest side in the section - and Steve Clarke’s men will go from bottom to top seeds when Euro heavyweights Spain arrive in Mount Florida.
But it was job done and there could be few complaints, even if they could and should have won with a bit more to spare and could have done without the injury to Che Adams who limped off in the second half and could now be a doubt for the Spaniards.This was the first of an eight-game qualifying campaign - with Callum McGregor earning his 50th cap for his county - that Clarke and his men hope will lead to Germany and back to back European Championship finals.
And it was a huge day for Angus Gunn as he was thrown straight in for a quickfire debut as he won the three-way battle to fill in for crocked Craig Gordon.But if this game went with the respective rankings, then the Norwich City man should have been in for a quiet afternoon.
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