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    Steve Clarke: ‘Andy Considine had a really good Scotland debut’

    The Aberdeen defender, 33, was prepared in for the 1-0 win over Slovakia.

    Scotland manager Steve Clarke hailed the versatility of Andy Considine after the late call-up played his part in a strong defensive screen in a 1-0 Hampden win over Slovakia

    Considine was phoned on Friday after Liam Cooper got an injury that has seen him sent out home to Leeds.

    The 33-year-old then ended up being Scotland’s earliest debutant since Celtic goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson played in the popular 1967 win at Wembley weeks prior to winning the European Cup.

    A win and a tidy sheet for this man on his debut.

    Well played, Andy. #SCOSVK pic.twitter.com/iBVwNXrefR

    — Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) October 11, 2020

    Considine has been a constant entertainer for Aberdeen for numerous seasons and Clarke understood he had the experience to deal with his unexpected intro to international football.

    Scotland’s back 3 assisted ensure David Marshall only had 2 fairly comfy conserves to make as Clarke’s men preserved leading spot in Nations League Group B2 thanks to Lyndon Dykes‘ 54th-minute winner.

    Clarke stated: “(Scott) McTominay, who supposedly couldn’t play right-side centre-back, was excellent again. Declan Gallagher was exceptional once again, and Andy Considine on his debut at 33, didn’t let himself down, he was really good.

    ” The good thing from my perspective and among the factors that Andy leapt directly in my mind for the call-up was that Aberdeen have actually been having fun with a back 3 this year and Andy has been using the left side of it.

    Steve Clarke, 3rd right, shakes hands with Andy Considine after the game (Steve Welsh/PA)

    ” So I understood he would slot in well due to the fact that it’s hard in internationalfootball We played Thursday night, Friday and Saturday are really just recovery days and we did a great deal of operate in the conference room and a little walk-through on possible issues and tactical problems today at the training school.

    “So you don’t get a lot to get to know your team-mates. He came in very late and adapted very well, but that’s experience for you. I knew he could cope.”

    Scotland extended their unbeaten run to 7 matches with Clarke’s three-man main defence assisting them keep a second tidy sheet in 3 days.

    Scotland grew in self-confidence moving forward after the goal and substitute Oli McBurnie headed against the bar.

    “It was a good performance from start to finish,” Clarke stated. “We made the system work well against a system we had not turn up against in the past, the 4-3-3.

    ” It was a good strong efficiency defensively, we kept good control of the game.

    Lyndon Dykes commemorates scoring Scotland’s winner (Steve Welsh/PA)

    “We looked a threat going forward, which was nice to see.”

    Dykes got his second goal in 4 internationals when he slotted home Stephen O’Donnell’s cross from 6 yards.

    Clarke stated: “Lyndon leads the line well, connect well with the players round about him.

    “We asked John McGinn to push forward and Ryan Fraser wasreally good We offered him a little totally free role and it worked really well for us, it offered us more of a danger moving forward.

    “So Lyndon played his part but everybody that was on the pitch did well for us, even the substitutes did the jobs they were asked to do.”

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