Scotland manager Steve Clarke: "We keep going to the end and got our rewards. It says a lot about the character, the spirit, the quality from the bench. One of the things I keep banging on about with this group of players, the quality we have got, they want to do well for their country"
Monday 19 June 2023 09:13, UK
Scotland manager Steve Clarke hailed the character and depth in his squad following their sensational late Euro 2024 qualifying comeback in Oslo.
Clarke's side stunned Norway with an unlikely turnaround as goals from Lyndon Dykes and substitute Kenny McLean in the final four minutes of normal time earned the Group A leaders a 2-1 victory.
McLean was one of three changes Clarke made in the 79th minute and it proved just in time after Scotland struggled to pose a threat and fell behind to Erling Haaland's 61st-minute penalty after the striker went down when Ryan Porteous got hold of his shirt.
With Spain not playing, Scotland extended their lead at the top of Group A and moved eight points ahead of third seeds Norway.
Clarke said: "I was pleased with the performance, we were disciplined and passed it quite well at times.
"Obviously, you have got to soak up a lot of pressure against a good Norwegian team. And we never stopped believing. We keep going to the end and got our rewards.
"It says a lot about the character, the spirit, the quality from the bench. One of the things I keep banging on about with this group of players, the quality we have got, they want to do well for their country.
"And when I turn to the bench and I know I need to make changes to freshen it up, I am putting top-quality players on the pitch.
"It was just about getting the timing right. After losing the goal, I felt it was better just to stay in the fight for a little bit to make sure the game didn't run away from us.
"After that, we had to chase the game, it was pretty logical - you are going to take off a defender and push John McGinn a little bit further forward.
"We brought Kenny to the game, Billy Gilmour to the game, brought Stuart Armstrong to the game, fresh legs to try and get forward and they were involved in most of the best things towards the end of the game.
"Even Dominic (Hyam) comes on at the end and sticks his head on a couple. Congratulations to Dominic, first cap, not a bad place to do it, not a bad score."
Scotland's win already puts them in a strong position with a perfect record ahead of Tuesday's visit of Georgia, which will mark the halfway point in the campaign.
Clarke said: "If we want to qualify for major tournaments, you know you have to go away from home against good teams and pick up points. This is three points which is big but we have to go again.
"They are all in there recovering in an ice bath and we have to make sure we get three points on Tuesday to capitalise. It sets us up nicely for Tuesday, I am not looking beyond that."
Meanwhile, Scotland captain Andrew Robertson insists his side now have to qualify for next summer's tournament in Germany.
He said: "The lads who came off the bench did so well. Going behind is difficult, but we knew this was the next step in our improvement.
"It was trying to get the balance right. The team spirit is second to none. To create that in international football is unique.
"We couldn't have started this campaign better. We have to qualify now."
Equalising goalscorer Lyndon Dykes told Sky Sports:
"We didn't play the best tonight, we'll look back and we will have wanted to do more and created more and be more threatening, but it just didn't happen. It was a tough night, but we turned the momentum after my goal went in and we've shown with the subs coming on as well that they impacted the game.
"It's just the belief we have so we just have to keep rolling on and hopefully when the chances come they go on. The ball rolling in that goal was the slowest thing I've ever seen in my life and I was having a heart attack! Happy to see it go over the line."
Former Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall on Sky Sports News:
"It's a fantastic start to qualifying. Looking at the table it makes for great reading.
"They've played and beaten Spain and also won in Norway. Hampden Park will be bouncing on Tuesday night as Scotland look to back this result up against Georgia.
"A win on Tuesday would put Scotland in a fantastic position to qualify. They'd be disappointed not to qualify from that position.
"It's a huge game against Georgia now.
"The form they are in now is great. They are eight points ahead of Norway with five games to go, and Norway still have to come to Glasgow.
"That's the last game of the campaign but hopefully it is done and dusted by then.
"If they can go and win the next two games against Georgia and Cyprus then I see no reason why we won't be heading to Euro 2024."
Former Scotland striker Kenny Miller to Sky Sports News:
"It was a wonderful result and a great performance. There was a lot of defending, a lot of discipline, and a lot of control. It wasn't pretty to watch at times, but we stayed in it and this team is full of confidence after those two opening wins. They kept believing, stuck to the task, and got the result in the end.
"I couldn't see it coming because there was very little created in terms of opportunities during the game, but they just seem to believe and Steve has done a wonderful job over the years. It puts Scotland in a fantastic position to qualify for the Euros automatically."
Norway manager Stale Solbakken - whose side were left bottom of the group - bemoaned the turning point of the game when his defender's interception fell for Dykes to nudge home.
"It was an accident for Leo Ostigard. I think it was cramp in both legs at the same time," he said. "That's how it is, we can't blame him for that. I will have to take the blame for not substituting him if it was like that.
"We are in a very difficult position."
Scotland's next Euro 2024 qualifier is against Georgia at Hampden Park on Tuesday night. Kick-off 7.45pm.
Up next for Norway is another home game against Cyprus, also on Tuesday; kick-off 7.45pm.
