I don’t see the game as being closed at all – Scotland boss Steve Clarke | OneFootball

Steve Clarke stressed that there is still work to do after Scotland boosted their hopes of remaining a top-flight Nations League side with a 1-0 play-off win against Greece in Athens.

Scott McTominay scored a penalty he had won in the 33rd minute of the first leg and the Scots could have been further ahead at the break.

The tide turned in the second half when 17-year-old Genk-born attacker Konstantinos Karetsas came on to make his debut for the home side, after making the switch from Belgium, for whom he had played at various youth levels.

The visitors withstood constant pressure from Greece but held out for the win and can be confident for the return leg at Hampden Park on Sunday.

Scotland are looking to remain in League A whereas the Greeks are looking to get out of League B after finishing second behind England and ahead of Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Clarke said: “Game on. It is still open. I don’t see the game as being closed at all.

“I thought the Greeks were good in the second half. Their away record is good in the group stages.

“They went to Ireland and won comfortably, they went to Finland and won comfortably and they went to Wembley and won, so the game is still wide open.

“I thought first half we were excellent, we played the ball around really well, created some good chances, could maybe have been further in front at half-time.

“To be fair to the Greeks they came out the second half and got about us and stopped us playing.

“We started to go too long and didn’t get hold of the ball as we did in the first half and then you are asked to defend and we defended quite well in the box.

“It felt like a lot of pressure because of the free-kicks into the box but (goalkeeper) Craig Gordon didn’t have too many saves to make in the second half, so credit to the team defensively.

“I love a good defensive display, it’s how you get results. But a lot to like in the first half.”

Clarke had special words of praise for defenders Anthony Ralston and Grant Hanley, who are not regulars with Celtic and Birmingham respectively.

He said: “You know what you are getting with Grant and you know what you’re getting with Tony, two honest players who always give everything for their country.

“When I select them it’s a risk because they don’t play every week for their clubs so they are maybe lacking minutes, but they are a credit to themselves, to last that long.

“Grant lasted the whole game, Tony almost gets the whole game, that tells you that they are still working hard at their clubs looking after themselves professionally, so really pleased for them.”