Scotland gave themselves a fighting chance of remaining in the Nations League’s top tier as Andy Robertson’s header in added time condemned the Poles to relegation.

It was a rope-a-dope contest from the off but the Scots landed to first blow as John McGinn’s finish, teed up by Ben Doak, gave his side the lead after only three minutes.

There were enough permutations to keep even the sharpest producers in the commentators’ ears scrambling but Steve Clarke’s men needed take care of what was in front of them first.

As the game wore on Poland showed no signs of letting do so as Jakub Kaminski and Adam Buksa continued to probe for an equaliser.

Despite the continued pressure from the home side, it became clear that they were in desperate need of Robert Lewandowski, repeatedly spurning chances without testing the ageless Craig Gordon nearly as much as they should have.

Scotland for their part, never settled for a one goal lead, knowing they would need at least another to give themselves the best possible chance of finishing second in the group. A result that would place them amongst the top seeds for the World Cup qualifiers.

Not once, but twice did the Scots rattle the bar, Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay both coming tantalisingly close to edging their side towards the coveted spot.

As the second-half bore on both sides began to tire, the end to end action and quick beginning to take its toll on the likes of Doak.

With results going their way in Zagreb, Scotland needed to weather the storm but could little as Kamil Piatkowski landed a sucker punch near the hour mark, his thunderous shot from outside the box an impossible proposition for even the most talented keepers.

Giving away a lead with the clock running down fast, Steve Clark had been here before. He watched from the sidelines as play maintained its frantic energy, very much at the expense of composure and accuracy.

As the final bell approached, the Scots looked weary and out of ideas to prevent their descent into the second tier.

That was until John Souttar launched a cross into the box met by a leaping Andy Robertson whose fourth ever goal for his country sent Poland onto the canvas and the Tartan Army into rapture.

No top seed but Scots will take heart

Whilst Croatia’s equaliser might have put paid to any chance of finishing second in the group and giving Clarke’s men an easier chance of qualification, there was plenty to shout about from the action in Warsaw.

Craig Gordon’s inspired performances have made him a clear favourite for the jersey, even when Angus Gunn does make a return from injury. The only person challenging his place between the sticks will be Father Time as Gordon will be forty-three by the time 2026 rolls around.

Meanwhile, fans will have been disappointed to see teen sensation Doak leave the field after just over an hour but the late goal shows the side have the tools to win games without relying on one player. Lightening the weight of expectations on his shoulders can only be beneficial to his career in the long run.

Finally, Scotland have finally shown they can close out games. The horrors of Portugal, Poland and Croatia in the opening games of their Nations League campaign seemed to have condemned this generation to lack the mental fortitude to cut it at the level that befitted the players’ ability.

The previous two victories have instead shown quite the opposite, their resilience giving them the opportunity to continue to test themselves against Europe’s best.

They have momentum in the tank, they will now need every drop of it as play-offs potentially await.