STEVE Clarke believes Scotland can build on their 6-0 rout of minnows San Marino in a Euro 2020 qualifier at rain-sodden Hampden last night in their matches with Cyprus and Kazakhstan last month.
A first-half hat-trick from John McGinn and second-half strikers from Lawrence Shankland, Stuart Findlay and Stuart Armstrong ended the national team’s four game losing streak.
Clarke admitted he was pleased his side were able to put smiles on the faces of the supporters who braved a torrential downpour after a disappointing run.
And he is optimistic the Tartan Army will have much more to cheer in the future as Scotland build towards the play-offs in March.
“Hopefully it repairs a little bit of the fragility that was in the squad after the four games against top opposition (Belgium and Russia),” he said.
“We lost all four games. It was a difficult run of fixtures and I knew that when I took the job. To come out and get a game like this at home means everyone can leave with smiles on their faces and I see smiles in the dressing room after the game. It’s nice to see and the players deserve credit for bouncing back.
“This is what we spoke about a lot after the four defeats, to find something to help us turn the corner. If this is the first stage in turning the corner then that’s great.
“I see Russia went to Cyprus and won 5-0. I told you they were a good team. We go to Cyprus now with the chance to win the next game and go above them so that would give us an opportunity to finish third in the group which is also an objective.
“They showed me tonight that they have a resilient streak. It’s been a tough week for us and it was important that we won the game tonight and it was important that we won well.”
There were fears the game would attract the lowest crowd ever for a competitive fixture involving Scotland – but 20,699 braved the elements.
“Everyone told me there was going to be no attendance!” said Clarke. “There were a lot of young ones there and they have seen their national team score six goals at home so hopefully they will come back to the next game.”
Clarke revealed he was never concerned the game would be abandoned by French referee Jerome Brisard despite the heavy conditions underfoot.
“I didn’t really think it would get to that stage,” he said. “For European games I’ve ever been involved in it takes something really, really bad for the referee to stop a game.
“The ball was moving well enough. There were bits of the pitch that were very sticky but we dealt with it and we got the six goals.”
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