NOT allowing yourself to become overly despondent after a defeat or to get too carried away following a victory are invaluable attributes for anyone who works in professional football.

Steve Clarke, though, takes maintaining your personal equilibrium to a whole new level.

The Scotland manager reacted in much the same hangdog manner to the triumph over Spain in Euro 2024 qualifying last year as he did the friendly defeat to Northern Ireland back in March.

He was certainly not doing backflips in his technical area a la Lomana LuaLua at Hampden last Friday night as the national side beat Croatia 1-0 to end their 10 match winless run in competitive fixtures.

The deserved victory against Luka Modric and Co meant that Andy Robertson and his team mates kept alive their hopes of surviving in the top tier of the Nations League and even gave them an outside chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition.

Clarke, though, kept his shape. “If I'm being honest, I think tonight was probably one of our poorest performances out of the five games that we've played so far,” he said. “As I came off the pitch I thought, ‘We can play better’. I think we can be better with the ball, I think we can be more clinical when we get to the final third of the pitch.” 

The lugubrious coach had a point. The hosts had dominated, after the visitors had been reduced to 10 men, the second half, had got themselves into dangerous positions on numerous occasions and had netted just once. A stark improvement in the final third was clearly required if they were to triumph against Poland and finish second in Group A1.

It was, then, maybe no surprise when John McGinn, who had been on the only player in a dark blue jersey to keep his composure up front and who has a proven track record in front of goal at international level, was drafted into the starting line-up in the National Stadium in Warsaw.

The Aston Villa man had moved alongside Ally McCoist in the all-time Scotland scoring charts with his 19th strike for his country. Could he replicate his heroics and provide the visitors with a vital cutting edge in attack? Of course he could. He is Super John McGinn after all.

Super became more super than Super in just the third minute after Ben Doak, who had teed him up last week, received the ball from Billy Gilmour and then squared to him in space on the edge of the opposition penalty. His team mate coolly slotted into the bottom left corner before running over to the fans and doing his trademark goggles celebration.

Only Lawrie Reilly (22), Hughie Gallagher (23), Sir Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law (both 30) have now been on target more often for their homeland. Even Clarke cracked a smile on the touchline.  

This double header has been sweet for the former St Mirren and Hibernian midfielder. He had, along with a fair few of his compatriots it must be said, a bitterly disappointing Euros in Germany in the summer.

The larger-than-life character made a few front page headlines when he joined in with some traditional Bavarian dancing at a welcome reception in Garmisch-Partenkerchin. But after that he failed to strut his funky stuff on the park.

Would Scotland have been sent home to think again before the knockout rounds if he had been at his brilliant best? Having their talisman on form would have made a huge difference. They only managed to score twice in their three Group A games against Germany, Switzerland and Hungary. One was an own goal, the other took a wicked deflection and was as good as an own goal.

Scotland rode their luck at times tonight. Craig Gordon produced a few outstanding saves and Anthony Ralston, Andy Robertson and John Souttar all made important blocks. But they created plenty going forward as well. Billy Gilmour hit the crossbar from distance and Scott McTominay forced a save from Lukasz Skorupski and was denied by the post.

Once again, they lacked a ruthlessness up top. They only prevailed and avoided relegation when Robertson, on the occasion of his 80th cap, got on the end of a Souttar delivery and headed in off the inside of the left post in the third minute of injury-time. But it was, with Portugal coming up short in Split, not enough.

Striker remains if not a problem position for the national team then certainly an area where they could desperately use an upgrade. Che Adams, the Torino hit man who is sidelined through injury, is the best they have just now. Lyndon Dykes of Birmingham City and Lawrence Shankland of Hearts are good, honest pros who have served their country well. Tommy Conway of Middlesbrough is very much one for the future.

Dykes was preferred to Conway and the Australian-born forward, as is always the case, grafted tirelessly in an attempt to carve out or exploit an opening in the Polish defence. He got a header on target before being replaced by Shankland as Doak, much to the disbelief of the Tartan Army, made way for Ryan Christie. But it was left-back Robertson who clinched the three points and a play-off spot. 

How Scotland could do with a Harry Kane, a Robert Lewandowski, a Romelu Lukaku, an Erling Haaland. It would turn them from a decent international outfit who are capable of occasional giant-killing acts and of qualifying for tournaments into a great one if they had a world-class marksman.

They had more than enough opportunities this evening and only converted two of them. At this rareified level, that is not enough. It is the reason they missed out on a place in the last eight alongside France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

It could be the same story in World Cup qualifying if they have to keep relying on John McGinn for goals to such a degree. Conway did well on his first start against Croatia on Friday night. It is vital the 22-year-old continues his development and becomes the first choice striker in the seasons ahead.