Tough watch as Scotland again battle against their own limitations

If Sebastien Pocognoli's honeymoon in the Scotland job ended in the wake of the defeat by Slovenia at Hampden in October, Friday night could have been the moment when all-out marital warfare broke out.

It didn't, but nobody can mistake this for peace and harmony, nobody watching Scotland pulling off a scratchy, but important, victory over North Macedonia, can have been enthused by what happened out there.

A win is a win and all of that, but this was a tough watch again, another night when Scotland battled against their own limitations. Hard graft is never a problem with this team; their passion and will to win is right up there. But nous, technical ability, belief, execution - it was a grind.

Three points against the North Macedonians was a non-negotiable. A comprehensive win against a team with no points, no goals and 10 conceded in their opening four group games would have been nice, if a little optimistic.

A draw would have been a horror show, but that's how it was looking just before the half hour. A goal apiece - and dread in heavy doses.

From ridicule, to relief, to remonstration

Hampden rarely stirred in a meaningful way all evening but there were three moments early in the second half that played with the emotions; from ridicule to relief to remonstration on a grand scale.

Billy Gilmour missed from point-blank range, a sitter to end all sitters, a blunder, ballooned over the crossbar, that made Chris Iwelumo's slapstick from yesteryear almost look forgivable.

Big Chris would have waited a long time to be released from the purgatory of his nightmare against Norway in 2008. He won't be, but he'll be joined in that space by Gilmour forever more. The Napoli man has, at least, many years ahead of him to atone. And it didn't cost Scotland any points on Friday. A crumb of comfort for him.

Collective groans from the stand, but then McGinn's first goal arrived and reassurance swirled around Hampden.

Scotland had a few chances in the opening half, then that gilt-edged opportunity for Gilmour, but the breakthrough had now arrived and, against North Macedonia, one goal is nearly almost enough. That's what recent history tells us.

Score once against this team and it's done. The only thing to determine at that point is how many goals you're going to win by.

That's not being disrespectful to North Macedonia. It's just reality. They had no shots on target in their opening fixture against Switzerland, one against Slovenia, zero against Scotland in Skopje and another blank in their second game against ths Swiss.

They had nothing in the first half at Hampden either, so when they scored it was a shock, a near-post header from Elmin Rastoder who got in ahead of a dozing Scott McTominay.

Rastoder ran away to celebrate, almost as stunned as Gilmour had been earlier, but for altogether different reasons. A first goal in five games in the Nations League. More than that, it was a first goal in nine all-in. The last time they had scored was a year ago in a 7-1 loss to Wales.

'Scotland looked confused and thoroughly unconvincing'

Scotland found a way to win - Ben Gannon-Doak winning a penalty and McGinn blasting it down the middle - but this was a stressful and troubling night.

McGinn's goals took him away from Hughie Gallacher in the all-time Scotland charts - and, remarkably, only six behind Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law - so there was glory in that. Fair play to him. What a momentous contribution he has made.

There was history in a 102nd cap for Andy Robertson, but you have to mine hard for the positives. Save for a few moments of coherent football. Scotland, going with three at the back again, looked confused and thoroughly unconvincing.

McGinn called it later on. Two goals for the midfielder and a whole lot of straight talking, too.

Pocognoli went with Gannon-Doak at wing-back but there were times when he didn't seem to know where he was supposed to be - a wing-back, a full-back, a winger? A square peg in a round hole.

The chances Scotland made were largely on the back of hard work rather than a functioning system dismantling a poor opponent. The entire win was down to effort rather than precision and craft or any semblance of a team knowing what they are and what they need to be doing. They triumphed over their own uncertainties.

It puts them a single point behind Slovenia with a game to go. Switzerland have won the group so that fight for second place is all that matters now.

Slovenia have the whip hand to put it mildly. They visit North Macedonia on Monday in what looks like a gimme. Scotland go to St Gallen in Switzerland. The Swiss don't need anything and might go with a second-string but it won't matter a jot to Scotland if Slovenia get it done.

They are probably going to finish third, which would make next month's draw for the Euros an exercise in crossing the fingers and hoping for mercy.

Unless there's a dramatic turnaround on the last round of matches, Scotland will be in pot three when the groups are established in Belfast in December. Pot three is not where they want to be.

Pocognoli, McGinn and Robertson all spoke in the aftermath. None sounded overjoyed, but were certainly grateful for the victory. When Rastoder scored and put the whole night in jeopardy they'd have taken an ugly 2-1. That's what they got.

Work to do, you might say. Lots and lots of it. And soul-searching, too, about systems and formations and players being shoe-horned into roles they're not entirely suited to.

A win, it's true, but heavy weather and the fear of a storm in Switzerland to come.