Earlier this week, Andy Robertson was heading to Skopje one cap short of 100 for Scotland. On Saturday, he reached the mark in a 2-0 win over FYR Macedonia, and Scotland finally ended a run of more than 420 minutes without a goal. Kieron Bowie opened the scoring, then John McGinn sealed it from the penalty spot.

Robertson's milestone night

Robertson became just the second player to reach 100 caps for Scotland, which gave the night a significance beyond the result. The captain had gone into the game on a solid Nations League rating of 6.4, but this was never about a standout individual display. It was about a landmark appearance arriving on a night when Scotland needed a clean break from a flat start.

The opening two Nations League games had brought no Scotland goals and only one point. A 2-0 win changes that immediately, even if the performance still carried some of the same tension that had hung over the campaign's start.

Scotland finally got the goals

The first breakthrough came through Bowie, whose goal ended Scotland's drought in the competition after more than 420 minutes. McGinn's penalty finished the job later in the match. Scotland also had a penalty decision overturned after a monitor review, and play was stopped at one point when a dog ran onto the pitch.

The head coach told Sky Sports there was no extra pressure after drawing a blank in Scotland's opening two Nations League games. That line fits the result, but the scoreline mattered more than the framing. Scotland had not scored in the competition before this match, and they were still chasing a response to a difficult opening when they arrived in Skopje.

McKenna's late sending-off for a last-man challenge on Agon Elezi was the one awkward note on an otherwise needed win. The bigger story is simpler: Scotland got their first goals of the campaign, Robertson reached 100 caps, and the team leaves Skopje with a result that had to arrive before the group became a much bigger problem.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →