By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-11-16 12:41:14 | Updated at 2024-11-16 14:37:09
2 hours ago
Craig Gordon believes Scotland's luck turned in their crucial Nations League win over Croatia - and wants to back it up against Poland on Monday.
Steve Clarke's side secured their first win in 10 competitive outings thanks to John McGinn's late goal after the visitors' Luka Sucic was dismissed in the first half for two bookings.
The result kept Scotland's hopes of retaining their League A status, as well as boosting their chances of a favourable seeding for World Cup qualifying.
Gordon admits the level of performance fell below some of their other Nations League displays but says the result was all important given their winless run.
"Probably not one of the better performances," said Gordon, 41.
"We didn't hit the heights of the performances that we have done in some of the defeats but we got a win and that was the most important thing.
"We got a little luck tonight that we maybe haven't had in the last number of games and we managed to see it through and eventually get the win."
In order to finish second in their group, Scotland must beat Poland, hope Croatia lose to Portugal and for there to be a three-goal swing.
However, Gordon says Scotland will not be worrying about permutations going into Monday's game in Warsaw and the main focus is just to put another three points on the board.
"We just need to keep winning matches," he said. "Now that we've got that first one, we need to try and back that up now and then we'll see where that takes us.
"Everybody will be talking about all the kind of permutations that are possible going into this last game. But for us it's about going there and then trying to win."
Gordon kept Scotland's clean sheet intact before Sucic's red card with several sharp saves, including one with his legs from Andrej Kramaric.
"[I was] a bit late to see it," he added. "My body weight was on the other leg and just managed to stretch out a long enough leg to get my big toe to it.
"It was important. I think first goal was always going to be vitally important. If we didn't get that then it was going to be a difficult night to get back into it so important to get the clean sheet."
