Scotland beat North Macedonia 2-0 in Pocognoli’s first win

Scotland beat North Macedonia 2-0 in Skopje on Saturday, October 3, giving head coach Sebastien Pocognoli his first victory in charge and ending the team’s run without a win or a goal. Kieron Bowie scored in the seventh minute and John McGinn converted a second-half penalty. Scotland captain Andy Robertson made his 100th appearance for the national team. Bowie opened the scoring with a low strike from outside the penalty area, his first goal for Scotland. The visitors created further chances but did not add to their lead before halftime. Scotland had a penalty awarded and then overturned after a video review in the second half, before winning another spot kick when a Bowie attempt struck the hand of North Macedonia’s Bojan Miovski. McGinn scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-0. Robertson’s milestone made him the second Scottish male player to reach 100 caps, after Kenny Dalglish, whose record stands at 102. The defender was involved in several early attacks and later expressed satisfaction at securing a win on the occasion. He also acknowledged that his pass preceded the late incident that led to teammate Scott McKenna’s dismissal.