SCOTLAND started their quest to qualify for the Euros for the second time in succession against Cyprus in style today with a 3-0 win.
Steve Clarke's men just fell short of qualifying for the World Cup but now Scotland's sights are set on Germany in 2024 and that journey kicked off today.
Scotland vs Cyprus kicked off at 2pm.
Scotland vs Cyprus is live on Viaplay Sports 1.
To stream the game live, head to the Viaplay website or app.
Steve Clarke confessed that he couldn't put his finger on why his Scotland team slacked off against Cyprus.
After impressing in the first 20 minutes and going 1-0 up thanks to John McGinn, for much of the remainder the national team looked rather pedestrian.
Clarke was all too happy then to see two late goals from Scott McTominay.
And this time the Man Utd midfielder wasn't scoring with just seconds remaining, meaning he didn't have to stand on the touchline "with his heart in his mouth" for a change.
He told BBC Sportsound: "We spoke a lot about getting off to a good start and I thought we started the game really, really well.
"For the first 30 minutes the movement, the rotation and the creation of space by the players was good.
"It took us until 20 minutes in before Mr McGinn got in his usual spot, arriving in the box well. We deserved the lead at that time.
"I thought up until about 30 minutes we were really good and then I don't know if we just went a bit casual, sort of switched off a little bit and Cyprus made it difficult for us.
"They got a hold of the ball and got a little bit more confident in the game.
"The second half was a slightly different game. We had some good moments when we went looking for the second goal to kill things off and it took a bit longer to come than we thought it would."
He added: "We slowed the game too much, we didn't keep the speed in the play and the tempo that we had in the earlier stages.
"That made it a bit easier for Cyprus to sit in and defend.
"So it got to 65 minutes and I felt we needed a bit of energy on the pitch and it's great when you can turn around and look at your bench and bring on Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie, who were both key players in getting the second and third goals.
"It was nice to have the last couple of minutes without your heart in your mouth!"
Scotland goalscorer John McGinn says there's no excuse for the team's performance dipping in the second half against Cyprus.
After a solid if unspectacular first half, the Dark Blues toiled for much of the second 45 before Scott McTominay doubled the lead that McGinn has established earlier.
And McGinn told BBC Sportsound: "It was a good win but I think we could all agree we could improve.
"We mentioned it in the dressing room, of course we're delighted with the goals and the clean sheet but we've set standards now and that second half performance, certainly the first 20-25 minutes, doesn't represent what we want.
"We need to be a bit brighter, create more chances and do a lot more work off the ball."
Asked if rustiness played a part in the levels dropping, given the national side haven't been together for five months, McGinn said: "That's not an excuse. We've had a settled squad now, we know what each other's qualities are, what we're capable of and if anything if you're looking for an excuse, the pitch was a bit tricky underfoot."
Angus Gunn: Couldn’t have wished for a more comfortable Scotland debut. A virtual spectator throughout. Survived a minor scare when slipping on the edge of his own box. 6
Ryan Porteous: Celebrated his 24th birthday with a commanding display. Won everything in the air and moped up on the deck. Faultless apart from a couple of stray passes. Booked late on. 7
Grant Hanley: Deployed in the middle of a three-man central defence and strolled through the contest. Never gave the Cypriots a sniff through his presence and positioning. 7
Keiran Tierney: Always willing to step out of defence and become the extra man in midfield. An impressive display at both ends of the pitch considering his lack of football for Arsenal. 7
Aaron Hickey: The youngster again looked mature beyond his years. A real asset going forward from right wing back. Forced the Cyprus keeper into a great early save. Never looks flustered. Hobbled off. 8
Ryan Jack: Anchored the Scotland midfield and dovetailed well with Celtic rival McGregor. Kept it simple in the engine room, but it was effective. Subbed midway through the second half. 6
Callum McGregor: Grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck from the off. Cool, calm and composed as always. Dictated the tempo of proceedings and rarely wasted a pass. 7
Andy Robertson: The skipper played like a winger at times and regularly got in behind the Cyprus backline. Excellent run and cross to put the winning goal on a plate for McGinn. 7
Stuart Armstrong: Booked after 15 minutes for cynically taking out Kastanos. A strong running display in the advanced midfield role. Sublime through ball for Robertson at the first goal. 7
John McGinn: Scotland’s talisman once again. Almost opened the scoring after ten minutes, but made no mistake from close range midway through the first half to take his international tally to 15 goals. 7
Che Adams: Led the line well and linked play superbly. Yet another selfless performance from the Southampton striker. Unlucky not to get the goal his efforts deserved. Limped off on 57 minutes. 6
SUBS
Lyndon Dykes: Replaced the injured Adams just before the hour mark. Great assist for the clincher. 6
Scott McTominay: Off the bench for Armstrong to seal the points with two quality late finishes. 7
Ryan Christie: Lively after replacing Jack for the last 22 minutes. Excellent late cameo from the Bournemouth man. 6
Nathan Patterson: Enjoyed a ten minute run out at the end after replacing Hickey. 3
The first half was solid, the majority of the second was tense, but in the end it's three points for Steve Clarke's men and a first win on the road to Germany 2024...
It was excellent work by Christie to keep the ball in and he picked out Dykes in the box, whose flick on found the on-running McTominay to finish with aplomb.
The sub lashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range and Hampden collectively breathed a big sigh of relief.
Important block there from Porteous who, after initially being caught out of position, recovers well and gets his body in front of a goal-bound shot from Cyprus.
Lovely dinked ball from Hickey into Christie who flicks it on for Dykes inside the area.
He holds the ball up for Christie who holds off the defender to shoot but it's blocked and cleared - only as far as McTominay but his effort suffers the same fate.
It is indeed an introduction for Christie as he comes on for Armstrong but it's Manchester United's Scott McTominay who's the other change, as he replaces Jack in midfield.
Armstrong breaks from midfield and lays in Robertson to his left and the skipper looks to pick out Hickey with a low cross but the youngster can't connect.
