{"id":930,"date":"2026-06-14T06:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T06:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agajahub.com\/?p=930"},"modified":"2026-06-14T06:49:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T06:49:17","slug":"scotland-player-ratings-a-new-star-is-born-but-scott-mctominay-ineffective-as-john-mcginn-creates-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agajahub.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/14\/scotland-player-ratings-a-new-star-is-born-but-scott-mctominay-ineffective-as-john-mcginn-creates-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Scotland player ratings: A new ‘star is born’ but Scott McTominay ‘ineffective’ as John McGinn creates history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In front of 64,146 fans at the Boston Stadium, Steve Clarke’s side ended their 28-year absence from the World Cup<\/a> with a 1-0 win over Haiti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"John<\/a>
McGinn’s goal against Haiti was his 21st for ScotlandCredit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

John McGinn’s<\/a> deflected strike in the 28th minute did the business for the Scots,<\/a> handing them their first win at a World Cup since June 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The win also fired Scotland to top spot in Group C after Brazil and Morocco played out a 1-1 draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was an immensely emotional result for the thousands of Tartan Army members inside the stadium and the many more who got up at 2am to watch the action unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

talkSPORT’s Scotland correspondent Shebahn Aherne,<\/a> who was pitchside in Boston, conceded she was ‘nearly bawling my eyes out’ following McGinn’s strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Wee John McGinn from Clydebank puts us ahead in this game against Haiti,” Aherne said on talkSPORT’s live coverage of the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Tartan Army behind me up on the barriers is going absolutely wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Angus Gunn ran towards the friends and family who are just behind Steve Clarke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Steve Clarke, hands in his pockets. Cool as you like.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGinn may have been the hero on the scoresheet, but it was a collective effort for Clarke’s side en route to a win that was 36 years in the waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, former Scotland international Mark McGhee rates every Scottish player’s performance against Haiti, with one star described as ‘absolutely fantastic’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Scotland<\/a>
The Tartan Army were given a night they won’t forget by Clarke’s troopsCredit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We start in goal with Angus Gunn<\/strong>, who kept his eighth international clean sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee felt Gunn ‘dealt with everything throughout’, although he did have a wobble midway through the first half when he spilled a shot that was fired straight at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robbo leads by example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aiding Gunn’s relatively uneventful evening was a strong performance from the back four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skipper Andy Robertson<\/a><\/strong> was his industrious self, flying up and down the left flank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robertson, who recently joined Spurs,<\/a> whipped in five crosses, the most among the Scottish team and ‘never let us down’, according to McGhee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Centre-backs Grant Hanley<\/strong> and Jack Hendry<\/strong> repelled Haiti’s attacks while Aaron Hickey<\/strong> on the right put in a solid display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Andy<\/a>
Robertson enjoyed a winning start to life as a World Cup captain for ScotlandCredit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Midfield pairing Scott McTominay<\/a><\/strong> and Lewis Ferguson<\/strong> pulled the strings, although McGhee was critical of the former and felt he was ‘largely ineffective’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee felt Ferguson was the pick of the midfielders, especially for his work in breaking up play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGinn<\/strong>, who started on the left, was his usual busy self and wasn’t afraid of drifting into central areas to disrupt Haiti’s defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘A star is born’<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But the man who McGhee reserved special praise for was young winger Ben Gannon-Doak<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bournemouth star terrorised Haiti left-back Martin Experience as he constantly cut in from the right onto his left foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just when Experience thought he’d figured out Gannon-Doak’s primary move, the 20-year-old then burst past him on his right foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ben<\/a>
Gannon-Doak looks poised to be Scotland’s hero for the next decadeCredit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“I think there’s only one player that we can say stood out, he’s won us the match with his early performance,” McGhee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We obviously took him off eventually, we knew he’d run out of energy, but Ben Gannon-Doak for me is, as I said at half-time, a star is born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He was absolutely fantastic in the period of the game when we needed him to produce, he did, and literally won us the match.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up top, McGhee had ‘high, high hopes’ for Lawrence Shankland<\/strong> but the recent Rangers arrival<\/a> didn’t enjoy his finest display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McGhee felt Che Adams<\/strong> was ‘industrious’ but felt his hold-up play could have been better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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