Robertson Eyes New Heights After Scotland's First Win Under Pocognoli
Captain Andy Robertson celebrated his 100th cap as Scotland secured a dominant 2-0 victory over North Macedonia, marking a positive first win for new manager Sebastien Pocognoli.
Scotland captain Andy Robertson expressed optimism for the team's future following their first victory under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. The side secured a 2-0 win against North Macedonia in a Nations League match, a performance Robertson believes can serve as a foundation for future success.
Robertson marked his 100th appearance for Scotland in the match held in Skopje. Kieron Bowie opened the scoring in the seventh minute with his first international goal, a powerful strike from outside the box. Scotland created numerous opportunities and had a penalty overturned by VAR following an apparent foul.
John McGinn extended Scotland's lead in the second half with a penalty, awarded after a handball by Bojan Miovski. Despite Scott McKenna receiving a late red card, similar to a previous match against Switzerland, the team maintained control and secured the crucial win.
"I thought we were excellent," Robertson stated after the match. "I thought we done really well on a really difficult pitch. I thought we could have been four, five-nil up at times, and then we didn’t take the chances."
Robertson, who becomes only the second player in Scottish history to reach 100 caps, now trails only Sir Kenny Dalglish's record of 102 appearances. He acknowledged the significance of the milestone, particularly achieving it with a win.
"I believe I’ve still got a lot to give for this country," Robertson said. "Hopefully the performances are showing that. I love Scotland, I love playing for my country. It is a special achievement."
The victory provided a much-needed boost for Pocognoli, who secured his first win in his third match as manager. The team dominated possession and created several scoring chances throughout the game.
"I’m very pleased with this first win," Pocognoli commented. "I think we played very well, created a lot of chances, we’ve kept two clean sheets which means a lot also."
Scotland will conclude their international window with a match against Slovenia at Hampden on Tuesday. The win over North Macedonia saw goals from Bowie and McGinn, with the team aiming to build on this performance in their upcoming fixtures.
