Steve Clarke watched Scotland take a step closer to Euro 2024 with a 3-0 win over Cyprus but claimed the best part of the night was a late Ryan Porteous block to keep a clean sheet.
Scott McTominay opened the scoring in the sixth minute in Larnaca with his sixth goal in five qualifiers before defender Porteous volleyed in his first international goal nine minutes later.
McTominay set up midfielder John McGinn for a third after 29 minutes and although the Scots cruised the second half, Porteous dived full length in stoppage time to stop a Cyprus shot testing Angus Gunn.
“For me, the best moment of the game,” said Clarke
“That tells everybody what we are about. We didn’t want to concede.
“We spoke at half-time about maybe we can get four, maybe we can get five but the most important thing is Cyprus gets nil and that block at the end tells you everything about this team and the mentality they have got.
“It was good, another step on the road to what we want to do, which is qualify.
“It was a good performance, goals in the first half, well-controlled the second half. We have to be pleased.
“It showed they were keyed up for the game. It was nice on a night like this when it was hot and humid, you get yourself in front so you don’t have to chase the game. ”
The Scots have five wins out of five Group A qualifiers to sit nine points ahead of Spain having played two fixtures more.
Scotland host England in a special 150th anniversary heritage match on Tuesday night and if Norway and Georgia draw in their qualifier the same evening, then the Scots will have reached their second successive European Championships.
Clarke’s side still have games against Spain, Georgia and Norway to come and the manager remains reluctant to look any further forward than Tuesday.
He said: “I’m pleased that fans can enjoy another win. Pleased that they think they can book their flights.
“Fans can do what they want, they can be excited, they can get carried away
“We have to focus on what we are at. If 15 points is enough we will find our later down the line.
“I am pleased for the players and obviously it is good for me to be the head coach of a bunch of talented players. But lets’ make sure we qualify then we will work on the next target.
“We have played five games and have 15 points, that is good.
“I’d like to think in the last three games we would pick up more points. We just keep trying to push ourselves and not be complacent. We are in a good position.”
Cyprus boss Temuri Ketsbaia had no complaints about the defeat which left his side with no points from four Group A fixtures.
The former Newcastle, Wolves and Dundee player, speaking through an interpreter, said: “We lost to a better team, everything was finished in a 10-minute spell in the first half.
“It was a fair result.
“We managed to improve in the second half but the match was finished at half-time.
“We lost to a high-level team. We needed a bigger effort from all the team, not just from four or five players, you need more.”
Motta defends Juventus talisman Vlahovic after Genoa brace
Juventus boss Thiago Motta lashed out at those criticising striker Dusan Vlahovic after he scored twice in the Bianconeri's 3-0 win over Genoa on Saturday.
Juve continued their fine start to life under Motta with a routine victory at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, Vlahovic netting twice before Francisco Conceicao added a late third.
They have kept a clean sheet in each of their first six matches of a Serie A season for the very first time, also scoring at least twice in five of their last eight games, having done so only once in their previous eight.
Despite Juve's strong run of form, Vlahovic has attracted criticism from some quarters.
Only Christian Pulisic (six) and Marcus Thuram (five) have bettered his four goals in Serie A this term, though, with the Serbian also helping himself to a brace versus Verona.
Motta heaped praise upon Vlahovic after the win, also hailing his defensive work as he said: "No goals conceded is a team effort.
"Scoring goals starts well with [goalkeeper Mattia] Perin and not conceding goals starts with Vlahovic.
"We have a group that wants to defend to have the ball and recover it. This is very important, a team must be solid to aspire to something great."
Motta then added: "Honestly, I think you pay too much attention to a single player. He has always been very good.
"I understand the expectations and needs of a striker at this level. But as I said from the beginning, he is a positive leader who helps a lot.
"I am happy because he scored but I was also happy when he didn't. He must improve and be more connected with the team because he is an important player in many aspects of our game. He is fine and must continue to work as he is doing".
Vlahovic, who has more games with multiple goals than any other player across the last six Serie A seasons (19), said: "The most important thing is that we won and we want to continue like this.
"It's no problem, people talk. If you score you're the best, if you don't you're the worst. It's up to me to respond on the pitch and I will certainly do so.
"Sometimes there are fewer opportunities. People expect me to solve the games and that's normal, I don't run away. I always do everything 100%.
"I'm super calm and I will always give my all on the pitch. For a striker when you don't score it's difficult, but today we won and that's the only thing that matters."
Al Kholood 2-4 Al-Hilal: Koulibaly on target as champions move to summit
Al-Hilal withstood a late Al Kholood rally to move top of the Saudi Pro League following a 4-2 victory at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.
The damage was done during a late first-half surge by the reigning champions, who leapfrogged Al-Ittihad to the summit of the table.
Al-Hilal broke the deadlock in the 38th minute through former Napoli and Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who finished after Renan Lodi initially struck the woodwork.
Malcom doubled the lead four minutes later, then Ali Al Bulayhi made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time.
Former Atletico Madrid and Nottingham Forest defender Lodi then got in the act to make it four within three minutes of the restart.
The hosts finished the contest the stronger of the two sides with Hammam Al Hammami and a William Troost-Ekong penalty halving the deficit, but that rally could not prevent the visitors from remaining perfect after their first five games.
Data Debrief: Al-Hilal remain perfect
Al-Hilal have won each of their opening five games in a Saudi Pro League season for the third time in their history, also achieving the feat in 2010-11 and 2018-19.
Jorge Jesus' side also continued their dominant record against newly promoted clubs, having now won each of their last nine such matches.
Despite their late surge, Al Kholood suffered their third defeat of the season, though there was individual cause for celebration, as former Al-Hilal player Mohammed Jahfali came on for his 200th Saudi Pro League appearance.
International record goalscorer Sinclair to retire after NWSL season
Christine Sinclair, the all-time record goalscorer in international football, will retire at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League in November.
Sinclair, 41, has 190 goals in 331 appearances for Canada, making her the top scorer across both men's and women's football.
She has played for the NWSL's Portland Thorns since 2013, helping them to win the inaugural title that year. She added further league crowns to her collection in 2017 and 2022.
The Canadian great has had similar success with her national team, winning a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She is also one of three players to score at five World Cups, alongside Brazil's Marta and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sinclair retired from international football in December 2023, and will now call time on her club career.
"Portland, thank you will never be enough. Soccer has been my passion since I was four years old and it has taken me on a journey I could never have imagined," Sinclair wrote on Instagram.
"As I finish out this last ride, I want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful, and passionate city that I will always call home."
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