McGinn the magician gives Scotland that winning feeling again

Scotland 1 Croatia 0

How Scotland had missed this version of John McGinn. The perfectly timed runs in to the box, the precision of the finish, the owl celebration after a precious winning goal.

After the indifferent displays of Euro 2024, some wondered if the talisman of old would ever be back. They needn’t have worried; cometh the hour, cometh the man.

This was a night when Croatia clung to the ball as if it was made of velcro. Playing the entire second half with ten men after a contentious red card for Petar Sucic, the swagger and panache of the visitors continues to confound those who wonder how a nation of less than four million people can produce so many gifted footballers.

Fat lot of good it did them in the end. With four minutes of normal time to play, a Scotland team second best for long spells finally exploited their numerical advantage.

The pace and power of the electric Ben Doak ended with a driven cross being flapped towards the feet of the lurking McGinn by keeper Dominik Kotarski.

Aston Villa star McGinn fires home in the 86th minute to secure 1-0 win for Scotland

The Croats can’t believe it as McGinn slams home what proved to be winning goal

The outcome was a foregone conclusion. Careering off an outstretched defensive boot, the Aston Villa man’s strike nestled in the corner of the net for his 19th goal in Scotland colours. For the first time in 17 months, Scotland had won at Hampden.

Thrashed 5-1 by Portugal, Poland now stand between Steve Clarke’s side and an unlikely Nations League salvage job. Win in Warsaw on Monday night and the Scots will secure a third place play-off and a chance to dodge relegation to League B. For long spells of this improbable win, it looked an unlikely scenario.

After a first half when the home side rode their luck – and then some – salvation came from a second yellow card for Sucic in the final moments.

Earning the first booking of the game for a foul on Andrew Robertson, a second for the Dinamo Zagreb playmaker incensed the visitors. His studs raking down the knee of John Souttar, it looked an open and shut case to some, a soft decision to others.

Luka Modric losing his cool is the rarest sight in football and, after a half when they’d been given the runaround, Scotland took encouragement where they could find it.

A one-man advantage offered their best, possibly only, hope of competing with a team who’d made them look second best.

Kenny McLean had set the tone in the opening stages when he gave the ball straight to Andrej Kramaric in his own half, teeing up the first shot on goal for the visitors, if not the last.

Billy Gilmour was robbed in midfield by a perfectly time tackle by Mateo Kovacic, Luka Susic doing Scotland a big favour by sidefooting a real chance high over the bar.

Josko Gvardiol gets to grips with Doak, who was outstanding for Scotland

Croatia’s Petar Sucic is sent off for his challenge on John Souttar

Croatia skipper Luka Modric argues with the referee after Sucic’s dismissal

When Kramaric forced Craig Gordon to scrape a low near post strike round the post with his right boot, you wondered when – if – Scotland might get a grip.

Outplayed the last time these sides met at Hampden in the finals of Euro 2020, history was in danger of repeating itself.

As the rain tumbled down on a windswept Hampden, a quite magnificent piece of skill from Doak relieved the gloom no end. For 18 minutes, Josko Gvardiol seemed to have the little winger tucked inside his back pocket. 

Receiving Tommy Conway’s first touch on the halfway line, the youngster audaciously backheeled the ball through the left-back’s legs and set off at pace.

If there’s a worry over Doak it’s the lack of a final ball. He found one this time, a fine pick out presenting Scott McTominay with the chance to test Kotarski with Scotland’s first effort on goal. Better, much better.

The relief was temporary. Scotland had no confidence, no comfort on the ball. Time after time, keeper Gordon lumped the ball up the park and it came straight back. The Hearts keeper’s hands will still be stinging from a ferocious Luka Sucic drive from 20 yards which restored Croatia’s relentless dominance.

Truth be told, Scotland’s lack of technical craft was a depressing affair.. They couldn’t go on like this.

When referee Orel Grinfeld sparked disbelief in Croatian ranks by flashing a second yellow card at Petar Sucic, it appeared to be a turning point in the game.

Steve Clarke congratulates substitute John McGinn after his late intervention

The Tartan Army won’t forget the night McGinn emerged as a hero again

The protests were so fevered that Kramaric earned a booking for approaching the referee when only captain Modric was allowed to do so. 

Not before time, Scotland had earned a break. The 2018 World Cup finalists were rattled.

The contagion of slack passing began to spread. With 57 minutes played, Josip Sutalo must have played the first misplaced pass from the visitors all night. 

Gifting the ball straight to Gilmour, the Napoli midfielder blew it. Instead of laying the ball off to Doak, haring into space on the right side, he slashed a wild shot high and wide. It was a terrible piece of decision making.

Shooting and goalscoring has never been Gilmour’s strong suit, a point hammered home when he wildly slashed a terrific chance yards over the bar from 12 yards after dynamic wing play from Doak.

The little winger might easily have scored one himself when the introduction of McGinn and Ryan Gauld almost paid instant dividends. 

Gauld’s delicious curling cross towards the back post would have been meat and drink for fellow substitute Lyndon Dykes. Regrettably, it fell to the smallest man on the pitch and another chance went begging.

Those who suspected that the ten men were happy to escape the miserable weather with a point in the bag were disabused of the notion when Croatia substitute Marko Pasalic raced on to a wonderful Modric through ball and dinked a glorious chance wide of the far post.

It’s not easy to be the best player on a pitch containing Luka Modric. Somehow Doak found a way, the irrespressible wide man the shining light and man of the match as his relentless energy and drive created the 86th-minute goal which finally put McGinn – and Scotland – back in business.