Norwich: Scotland trio start in Poland Nation's League clash

Scotland boss Steve Clarke defended Norwich City centre back Grant Hanley after his late rush of blood conceded a match-winning Poland penalty in Thursday's 3-2 Nations League defeat at Hampden.

Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay looked to have completed a stirring comeback after Sebastian Szymański and Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, from the penalty spot, had put the Poles in command.

But in the 96th minute Hanley’s rash challenge on Nicola Zalewski conceded a second penalty, and Zalewski slotted underneath Angus Gunn.

"It is not about picking out individuals. I’ve never done that and I am not going to start now," said the Tartan Army boss, in his post-match media.

“We win as a team, we lose as a team. We’ll go away, we will analyse the game and we’ll speak in camp.

“A game we shouldn’t lose but if you make errors at this level, you get punished, and we were punished severely for the errors we made in the game.

“Lots of good thing but still a defeat. I think if I analyse the performance, I have to be happy with the performance.

“So there’s a small crumb of comfort for a head coach. We didn’t have a lot of time to work on the training pitch.

Hanley and City number one Gunn played the full game on Scotland's homecoming following their involvement at the European Championship, with Kenny McLean featuring for 71 minutes before he was replaced by Liverpool youngster Ben Doak.  

Prior to the stoppage time penalty twist, McTominay could have won the game in a strong finish from the hosts with a skimming long range effort, while Hanley headed wide.

Lewandowski, who had scored twice in his last appearance at Hampden in 2015, led the line for the visitors and was involved in the opening goal.

Gilmour was robbed in the middle of the park and when the Barcelona star striker helped the ball on to Szymanski, the Fenerbahce player fired a shot from 30 yards low past keeper Gunn and in off the post.

McTominay scooped a pass from Ryan Christie high over the bar in the 20th minute and three minutes later he bundled the ball in from close range after getting on the end of an inswinging John McGinn free-kick, but it was ruled out amid a VAR check and some confusion.

Christie drove wide from the edge of the box and in the 37th minute McTominay took advantage of slack play by Jakub Kiwior and burst into the Poland box, but his cut-back evaded everyone in a dark blue shirt before Lyndon Dykes slashed at a shot just six yards out to hit the side-netting.

However, the Scots were dealt another blow just before the interval when Anthony Ralston brought down Zalewski as the Pole drove into the box, and Lewandowski sent Gunn the wrong way with an assured penalty.

The Scots were given early second-half hope when Poland failed to clear their lines and Gilmour stepped in to drive low past keeper Marcin Bulka with only his second-ever international goal.

The home side had more defending to do though as the Poles looked to restore their two-goal lead and Syzmasnki curled the ball just wide from the edge of the box.

In the 71st minute Ryan Gauld and 18-year-old Doak came on to make their Scotland debuts along with fellow attacker Lawrence Shankland, with Dykes, McLean and Christie departing.

Doak made a quick impact on the right when he set up the over-lapping Ralston whose cut-back was confidently slid into the net by McTominay to make it 2-2.

That set up a frenetic finale where Hanley clumsily brought down Zalewski inside the box and the Pole got up and struck his penalty past the diving Gunn for a last-gasp winner.

Scotland’s next Nations League game is a trip to Portugal on Sunday before the Canaries resume their Championship season at Swansea City the following weekend.