Scotland secured at least a play-off spot in World Cup qualifying Group C after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belarus at Hampden Park. Goals from Che Adams and Scott McTominay ensured the win, which, combined with Greece's 3-1 defeat to Denmark, guaranteed Scotland a top-two finish with two qualifying matches remaining.

The victory, however, was not entirely convincing. Despite playing against a Belarus side ranked 100th in the world, Scotland "laboured" to the win. Manager Steve Clarke acknowledged his disappointment with the team's performance, describing it as a "head-scratcher". He noted that the performance was "way below par" and "possibly as disappointed as I've been over the whole 72 games" of his management.

Scotland took the lead in the 15th minute when Che Adams controlled a ball from Jack Hendry on the edge of the box and fired a low, clinical finish into the corner of the net. Despite Scotland's early advantage, Belarus showed a threat early on, and the home side struggled to build on their lead. As the game progressed, nerves began to show, and the Hampden crowd grew increasingly anxious.

Scotland appeared to have secured the win when Scott McTominay scored in the 84th minute, following a period of sustained pressure. However, Belarus substitute Hleb Kuchko scored in injury time, making for a tense finish and drawing boos from some sections of the Tartan Army at full-time.

Clarke had to reshuffle his team due to the suspension of Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson, and an injury to Aaron Hickey. Anthony Ralston, Jack Hendry, Scott McKenna, Kenny McLean and Billy Gilmour all came into the starting eleven. Despite the changes, Scotland struggled to find cohesion and fluidity throughout the match.

Belarus had a goal disallowed in the second half for a foul on McTominay. While the Scots ultimately secured the three points, the performance raised concerns ahead of their remaining qualifiers.

With Denmark having a significant goal difference advantage, Scotland will likely need to beat them at Hampden on November 18 to secure automatic qualification. A draw against Greece three days earlier would ensure that the final match becomes a decisive group decider.

Despite the underwhelming performance against Belarus, the win means Scotland have secured 10 points from a possible 12 in the qualifying campaign. Clarke expressed faith in his players and trust that they would address the issues highlighted in the match. "We'll look at what we have to do better and how we can be more cohesive as a team without the ball," Clarke stated.