John McGinn’s double, including a penalty awarded after a VAR review, gave Sebastien Pocognoli his first win at Hampden and kept Scotland’s hopes of finishing second in Nations League Group B1 alive.
Pocognoli made five changes from the defeat to Slovenia. Ryan Porteous and Kieran Tierney came into a back three in place of the injured Stephen Welsh and Luis Binks, with Luke Graham replacing Jack Hendry, while Scott McTominay and Ché Adams returned from injury in place of Ryan Christie and Oli McBurnie.
There was a landmark for Andy Robertson, who won his 102nd cap to draw level with Sir Kenny Dalglish as Scotland’s joint most-capped player.
Scotland created the better chances in the first half but found Stole Dimitrievski in fine form. The North Macedonia goalkeeper saved from McTominay on 16 minutes, Tierney headed over from a Robertson free-kick, and Dimitrievski kept out an Adams header from a McGinn corner just before the half-hour mark.
McTominay went close twice more, sending an overhead kick over the bar and being denied again by Dimitrievski from a tight angle. The sides went in goalless and the home side were booed off at half-time.
Billy Gilmour should have opened the scoring straight after the restart, but fired over from close range after Adams set him up.
The breakthrough came on 54 minutes. Adams outmuscled his marker and poked the ball into the path of McGinn, who curled it into the net.
The lead lasted only three minutes. Enes Bardhi whipped in a corner and Elmin Rastoder glanced a header into the bottom corner to bring North Macedonia level.
Pocognoli sent on McBurnie for Adams midway through the half, and the substitute played a part in the winner. His pass released Ben Gannon-Doak, who was brought down by Dimitrievski. After a VAR review the referee pointed to the spot, and McGinn sent his penalty home on 74 minutes.
The goals were McGinn’s 23rd and 24th for his country, moving him up to third on Scotland’s all-time scoring list.
Christie came on for his 75th cap and Aaron Hickey replaced Gannon-Doak as Scotland saw the game out. It was far from convincing, and the mood at full-time was more relief than celebration, but it was a first Hampden win for Pocognoli.
Slovenia were held by Switzerland, so Scotland can still finish second in the group. To do that they need to win in St Gallen on Monday night (7.45pm) and hope North Macedonia do them a favour in their final game.
Scotland 2-1 North Macedonia
Scotland: Gunn; Porteous, Graham, Tierney; Robertson, Gilmour, Ferguson, Gannon-Doak; McGinn; Adams, McTominay
Subs used: McBurnie (67′), Christie (76′), Hickey (76′)
North Macedonia: Dimitrievski; Mladenovski, Ilievski, Musliu, Alioski; Gashtarov, Elmas, Churlinov, Bardhi, Doriev; Rastoder
Subs used: Elezi (64′), Maleski (64′), Omeragikj (78′), Stankovski (78′), Nikolov (85′)
Goals: McGinn 54′, 74′ (pen); Rastoder 57′
