So much for tight, grim affairs between Scotland and Israel. A seventh meeting in three years broke the mould of anything that had come before. This was a breathless encounter, as fitting for the return of a capacity crowd to Hampden Park.
The final act was the defining one. Scott McTominay knew little about his goal, the odd one in five, that ends Scotland to within touching distance of a World Cup play-off. McTominay bundled home a John McGinn corner to send Steve Clarke into raptures. Scotland now lead Israel by four points in Group F, with matches against the Faroe Islands and Moldova ahead for Clarke’s team.