Highlights: Belarus 0-2 Scotland

At a glance

  • Che Adams scores and helps force own goal for Scotland

  • Ben Gannon Doak influential as one of four changes

  • Scotland level with Denmark on four points at top of Group C after Danes win in Greece

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

Scotland secured a routine but important 2-0 victory over Belarus to continue their solid start to World Cup qualifying.

Friday's gutsy draw in Denmark was hard-earned but would have mattered little if Steve Clarke's side had then failed to beat Group C's lowest-ranked side.

However, they got the job done comfortably enough, thanks to a goal from Che Adams who then helped force an own goal from Zakhar Volkov after the break.

With the game played in an empty stadium in Hungary because of Belarus' support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the match was a throwback to Covid times with no crackling atmosphere to help it come to life.

The inclusion of Bournemouth winger Ben Gannon Doak was one of four changes made by Clarke, and he was the player who often produced the excitement with his willingness to take players on.

Yet it was the trusted midfield combination of John McGinn and Scott McTominay who teed up Adams for the opener, the latter heading the former's cross into the striker's path and he finished neatly.

Torino striker Adams then turned provider after the break as his brilliant chipped pass found Billy Gilmour, whose header across goal hit Volkov and flew into the net.

From there, victory was a formality against the mostly blunt Belarus attack.

Denmark's surprise 3-0 win in Athens means Group C is wide open, with Scotland and the Danes both on four points and Greece one point behind.

Che Adams puts Scotland in front before half-time

Scotland analysis: Solid start lays World Cup platform

Going from underdogs in Copenhagen to strong favourites in Hungary meant Clarke was always likely to mix up his team, and the headline change was the return of Gannon Doak as Scotland looked for more impetus.

The 19-year-old provided it with his willingness to isolate defenders and take them on down the left-hand side.

His final ball is still a work in progress and there are times when he could lift his head up and offload the ball sooner, but the former Liverpool teenager is a point of difference in this squad.

Away from him, the tried and trusted players did the damage again, with McTominay's excellent header setting up Adams while the Napoli man had several good chances to score himself.

Adams' involvement in both goals is also a boost for his confidence after a lean few years in a Scotland jersey.

His record against the lesser nations is good, which is important for a Scotland side who rarely blows team away.

As is the fact they kept another clean sheet, the first time they have kept three in a row since November 2021.

Clarke could not have asked for a much better start from two away games. Next month they face Greece at Hampden, a golden opportunity to make a statement in this group.

'It didn't matter how Scotland got the points'

What they said

Hear from Steve Clarke after Scotland's 2-0 victory over Belarus

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke : "It was a tough night. I expected the reaction Belarus gave. They started big guys and filled the middle of the park.

"We kept prodding, doing what we wanted to do. The message was just to stay patient and we managed to do that.

"It's a good start, a solid start. Four points will never qualify you for anything. It's nice to go home with a smile on your face, but I'm already thinking about next month.

Scotland captain Andy Robertson: "Job done. That's the best way to describe it.

"We knew they would try to be a bit more secure and defensive. We just had to be patient and got the goal at the perfect time just before half-time.

"We could have had more, but a job well done."

Scotland striker Che Adams: "It was really professional. We knew we had to come here and get three points and we did that.

"Difficult pitch and a hard to break down team, but we did it in the end. We missed the fans a lot tonight. That was for them really."

What's next for Scotland?

Scotland host Greece on 9 October at Hampden (19:45 BST) while Belarus visit Glasgow three days later.

Both games are live on the BBC, as is the rest of Scotland's campaign.

Player of the match

J. McGinn
7.65
16 F. Lapoukhov
5.60
3 P. Zabelin
5.36
20 Z. Volkov
5.21
9 M. Ebong
5.09
11 G. Barkovskiy
5.00
6 M. Myakish
4.95
5 E. Parkhomenko
4.86
2 K. Pechenin
4.77
13 S. Karpovich
4.77
22 V. Pigas
4.76
23 T. Melnichenko
4.70
17 V. Kalinin
4.68
7 E. Malashevich
4.62
10 V. Gromyko
4.58
8 N. Demchenko
4.53
18 V. Malkevich
4.53
Back to team tabs

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.