Scotland had ‘super’ John McGinn to thank for keeping their hopes of a Nations League promotion play-off place alive after a nervy 2-1 victory over North Macedonia at Hampden Park.
On a night when the home support took some time to find its voice, and the visitors arrived having gone eight matches without scoring, Scotland were made to work extremely hard for maximum points in a contest that threatened to become considerably more uncomfortable than it needed to be.
McGinn's opener was cancelled out within three minutes by Elmin Rastoder, before the Aston Villa midfielder restored Scotland's advantage from the penalty spot.
There was little about the opening exchanges to suggest a memorable evening was in store. It took just 66 seconds for the North Stand to break into a familiar Scott McTominay chant, a reminder of the importance of having the Napoli midfielder back in the fold following his recent heart procedure. Yet the early atmosphere remained subdued, with Scotland struggling to impose themselves against a side ranked 71st in the world and content to allow their back three possession.
The first real warning came from the visitors in the 13th minute, when Ljupcho Doriev cut inside from the edge of the penalty area and curled narrowly over. Scotland responded through McTominay, whose effort looked destined for the bottom corner after controlling Lewis Ferguson's towering header, only for Stole Dimitrievski to produce an excellent save.
That intervention was the first to properly lift the 41,000 crowd in attendance, and Scotland gradually began to find some rhythm. Andy Robertson - on his record-equalling 102nd cap to draw level with Kenny Dalglish’s record - whipped in a dangerous free-kick that Kieran Tierney headed over, before Dimitrievski was again called into action to keep out Che Adams' deflected front-post header from a McGinn corner.
The visiting keeper was fast becoming the game's most influential figure. McTominay attempted to recreate the spectacular overhead kick he produced against Denmark almost a year ago, but failed to make the right connection with Billy Gilmour's floated delivery.
At the other end Enis Bardhi squandered a promising opportunity after Darko Churlinov had cleverly teed him up shortly before the interval.
A chorus of boos greeted the half-time whistle, despite Scotland registering ten first-half attempts. Their inability to turn territorial dominance into a breakthrough was becoming increasingly frustrating, particularly against opponents who had failed to find the net in their previous eight matches.
Worse was to follow almost immediately after the restart. Adams was gifted possession inside the penalty area and squared the ball invitingly for Gilmour, who somehow blazed over from around eight yards with the goal at his mercy. It was an extraordinary miss, one that inevitably invited comparisons with Chris Iwelumo's infamous effort against Norway.
Scotland looked short of inspiration, but a breakthrough finally arrived in the 54th minute. Ryan Porteous rose unchallenged to meet a loose ball and sent a looping header high into the air, creating panic in the visiting defence. Adams did well to hold off his marker and nudge the ball into McGinn's path, allowing the Villa captain to sweep a composed finish beyond Dimitrievski.
It should have been the moment that settled the nerves. Instead, Scotland's defensive vulnerability was exposed just three minutes later. North Macedonia won a corner, which was delivered towards the near post and glanced across goal by Rastoder. Angus Gunn had no chance as the ball nestled in the far corner, bringing an end to the visitors' lengthy goal drought.
Scotland became increasingly ragged in possession, while the visitors grew in confidence as groans of frustration echoed around the stadium.
It was Ben Gannon-Doak who would provide the decisive moment. The Bournemouth winger raced onto McBurnie's pass in the penalty area, although a heavy touch allowed Dimitrievski to rush off his line and challenge. Initially, Slovakian referee Michal Ocenas waved away Scotland's appeals, but a VAR review prompted him to consult the pitchside monitor before he pointed to the spot.
McGinn showed admirable composure amid the tension, sending his penalty straight down the middle in the 74th minute. It was his second goal of the evening and his 24th for Scotland, drawing him level with Hughie Gallacher in joint-third place on the country's all-time scoring list.
North Macedonia offered little in response thereafter. Bardhi's late free-kick was comfortably dealt with by Gunn, and the visitors ran out of ideas as Scotland escaped with three precious points.
The result moves Scotland onto seven points in Group B1, keeping alive their hopes of finishing second after pacesetting Switzerland played out a goalless draw with Slovenia. Sebastien Pocognoli’s side now travel to St. Gallen on Monday knowing they require a victory and must hope Slovenia fail to beat the Macedonians.
We take a look at how each Scotland player fared: