Clarke maybe put it greatest in his post-match media convention: “A loopy sport, a loopy night time”.
It was one which began – and equally ended – with a powerful blended bag of feelings.
The elder statesman of the Tartan Military, who’ve tread these waters earlier than, have been cautious.
A visit away to an already-eliminated Greece, who supposedly had nothing to play for, was not so simple as the script would recommend.
Inside seven minutes, that was proven.
How Tasos Bakasetas aim ended up the only product of the primary half stays puzzling.
The shaken Scots might have been left with an insurmountable job or tied at 1-1 in equal measure after a mind-boggling first 45 minutes the place 42-year-old Craig Gordon rolled again the years with a classic show.
There was no construction on an evening the place a stalemate would have been suffice.
The unpredictability of the sport in Greece grew within the second half when sounds of extraordinary scenes in Copenhagen got here calling.
Andy Robertson admitted it “was a bit unusual” to listen to the away followers cheering with their aspect 3-1 down and seemingly waving goodbye to automated qualification.
The premise on the journey to Pireaus was keep away from defeat, as a result of we might assume high seeds Denmark would take care of Belarus – ranked 103rd on this planet rankings – in related vein to their 6-0 trouncing final month.
If it was Scotland, this may have been billed as a possible banana pores and skin and certain filed below the aforementioned wonderful failures.
“We have got a fortunate break,” Clarke instructed BBC Scotland. “Belarus have finished us a giant favour in Denmark and that provides us every little thing to play for on Tuesday.
“When it went 3-0, I put some completely different directions on to the pitch. I will not inform you what, however it was extra with play-offs in thoughts.
“Then out of the blue we bought to 3-1 and realised that the opposite sport was the best way it was. So these directions have been taken again and we tried our greatest to get one thing out of the sport right here.”
