Scotland hang on for first win since 1990 with 1-0 victory over Haiti

BOSTON: Scotland, roared on ​by their Tartan Army of travelling fans, savoured their first World Cup win in 36 years on Saturday when they edged past Haiti for a scrappy 1-0 victory settled by a first-half strike from John McGinn.
The Scots - needing three points against a side ranked among the minnows of the game before facing tougher opposition in the shape of Brazil and Morocco in their other Group C matches - went ahead in the 28th minute.

A close-range effort by Che Adams ⁠was saved by Johny Placide only for the ball to fall to McGinn whose shot was deflected over the ⁠Haiti goalkeeper and into the net.
Eleven minutes earlier, Scott McTominay had smacked a shot against a post and, although Haiti showed glimpses of their electric pace and put pressure on Scotland in the closing stages, Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn barely had a save to make.

The win, although not pretty, puts ‌Steve Clarke’s men top of the group ahead of five-time world ​champions Brazil and 2022 semi-finalists Morocco ⁠who drew 1-1 earlier on Saturday and bolsters their hopes of finally making it into the ​knockout round of a major competition.
'We probably put ‌the supporters through it a little bit. Everyone said it was a must-win game. We won the game,' Clarke told BBC radio. 'Defensively - outstanding. We probably could have been a little bit better ​with the ball, but who cares?'
At the final whistle, Scotland's supporters also showed no sign of worrying about the lack of flowing football as they launched into a raucous rendition of their trademark celebration song 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' by Spanish 1970s disco act Baccara.
A GOOD CHANCE OF QUALIFYING
Under FIFA’s expanded tournament format, three points and a decent goal difference at the end of the group stage would offer a ‌good chance of qualifying for the knockout stage of the competition, something that has eluded Scotland in all of their ​previous eight World Cups.
The Scottish supporters made the most of their return to the global stage after an absence of 28 ​years, giving a ‌lung-busting ⁠rendition of their familiar tribute song for McGinn.
He repaid the compliment with his goal - which at 31 years and 238 days of age made him the oldest Scotland player to score at a World Cup - less than a month after he lifted the ​Europa League trophy as captain of England’s Aston Villa, while winger Ben Gannon-Doak threatened with ⁠his pace.
Haiti - playing ​at their first World Cup since 1974 - were bolstered by the inclusion of two players with experience of playing in the English Premier League - Jean-Ricner Bellegarde of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor.
But they had only a few glimpses of an equaliser. In the 38th minute, the ball fell to Ruben Providence a few yards out but he was dispossessed by Aaron Hickey. Frantzdy Pierrot ​headed narrowly wide in the 85th minute and had another chance in the dying moments but Scotland clung ​on for their win.
The Scots - whose last win at the World Cup was a 2-1 defeat of Sweden in 1990 - next meet Morocco in Boston while Haiti face Brazil in Philadelphia with both games taking place on Friday. — Reuters