Steve Clarke urges Scotland to build on promising World Cup qualifying start

Scotland manager Steve Clarke urged his players to step up and build on a promising start to their World Cup qualifying campaign after a 2-0 victory over Belarus.

The win, sealed by a Che Adams strike and an own goal, leaves Scotland with four points from their opening two matches following a goalless draw with Denmark in Copenhagen last week. The match against Belarus was played behind closed doors in neutral Hungary.

"It's a good start, a solid start, and a pleasing night's work," Clarke said, while stressing that four points "will never qualify you for anything." He added that clean sheets must form the foundation of the campaign and that his thoughts were already on next month's fixtures.

Scotland face a home double-header next month against Greece and Belarus. Clarke said victory in the nation's three home matches would leave Scotland well placed to top the section, but he reiterated the need for continued improvement.

The qualifying group has opened up after Denmark claimed a 3-0 win in Greece, leaving several sides within reach early in the campaign. Clarke described the Belarus side as organised and physical, saying they "started big guys and filled the middle of the park," but praised his team's patience and control.

Clarke singled out midfielder Billy Gilmour and winger Ben Gannon Doak for special mention. "Billy and Ben are two players who excite the public. My job is to pick a team to win the game. Both of them did very well," he said.

Captain Andy Robertson also highlighted Doak's contribution, noting the winger had started after appearing from the bench in Copenhagen. "The gaffer put him on the left so I could look after him, but he doesn't need much looking after," Robertson said. "He's a huge talent. He wants to take people on and his decision-making was good on the whole."

Robertson added that squad rotation had been necessary following the encounter with Denmark and that the four players who came into the Belarus match "were excellent." He stressed the importance of depth for Scotland's qualification hopes: "We need the full squad if we're going to qualify."

Clarke praised his team's control of the match and their ability to break down a compact Belarus side, noting the timing of the first goal just before half-time was decisive. Scotland added a second in the latter stages and had opportunities to extend the lead, but left the field content with a clean sheet.

With the European qualifying schedule crowded, Scotland will now prepare for the home fixtures that Clarke believes are pivotal to their chances of topping the group. The manager's message was clear: a solid start must be developed into sustained form if Scotland are to progress from the section.