Robertson marks 100th Scotland cap with victory
Andy Robertson was proud to mark his 100th Scotland appearance with a victory, as Sunday's (AEDT) 2-0 win over North Macedonia got the Sebastien Pocognoli era up and running at last.
After a goalless draw with Slovenia and a chastening 3-0 loss at home to Switzerland, Scotland finally got its first victory in the 2026-2027 Nations League, with Kieron Bowie and John McGinn on target in Skopje.
Bowie's first international goal was a brilliant effort in the seventh minute, as he spun Mario Mladenovski then found the bottom-right corner from outside the area.
McGinn made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, with Bojan Miovski deemed to have committed handball during a goalmouth scramble in which Scott McKenna, who was later sent off, headed against the post.
While it was an occasion to remember for Pocognoli, Robertson also celebrated a landmark moment, becoming only the second player to win 100 caps for Scotland, after Kenny Dalglish, who finished his career with 102.
Dalglish's 30 international goals remain the joint-most by any Scotland player, alongside Denis Law, and Robertson, who only has four goals for his country, joked he had a chance of matching that figure after being heavily involved as an attacking outlet.
Having never previously had four shots in a game for Scotland, Robertson managed that figure in the opening 13 minutes, with Stole Dimitrievski making one wonderful save to keep the left-back out.
"It means everything to me, and it means everything to my family," Robertson said afterwards.
"I've been away now 100 times; I've got to feel sorry for my wife. It's been an unbelievable journey. I remember my first game, and it's been a process since then.
"It's emotional for me. I love this country, there's only one person before me in the men's game to do that, so it's a pretty special achievement.
"I thought Kenny Dalglish was going to be worried about his goalscoring record in the first few minutes. I had about six shots.
"They did a nice presentation for me; I told them I wanted the win. The lads did so well to get the win, it'll be a special one for me and my family."
McGinn, meanwhile, said Scotland could not afford to rest on its laurels ahead of hosting Slovenia on Wednesday (AEDT), as he praised Pocognoli's efforts to build a new identity for the team.
"The most important thing tonight was a win and a clean sheet," McGinn said. "When results go against you, things are said about you both personally and as a team, it's part of football.
"We deserve the praise that comes tonight. It was not an easy game, but we handled it well.
"The manager has brought a lot of ideas, a lot of identity, and it's up to us to buy into it. It's up to us to keep believing in what he wants to do and bring our qualities to the pitch.
"Tuesday's going to be a difficult game, but we've got to back this up with another win."
Andrew Henry Robertson
Scotland
