STEVE CLARKE’S SCOTLAND tenure got off to a winning start as Oliver Burke’s last-minute effort secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Cyprus in Saturday’s Euro 2020 qualifier.

Clarke replaced Alex McLeish as Scotland manager in May, but he looked to be heading for a disappointing draw in his first game in charge when Ioannis Kousoulos scored with three minutes remaining.

Kousoulos’ header cancelled out Andrew Robertson’s stunning strike, which had put Scotland ahead just after the hour.

But parity was short lived, with substitute Burke tucking home at the second attempt after heading Ryan Fraser’s cross against the woodwork.

Scotland are now third in Group I with six points from three matches, three adrift of leaders Belgium, while Cyprus are fourth in the pool.

In a first half of few clear chances, debutant Eamonn Brophy went closest for Scotland, heading wide from a corner after Charlie Mulgrew had forced a smart save out of Urko Pardo.

Scotland were caught out five minutes before half-time, however, and only a fine David Marshall save denied Pieros Sotiriou an opener.

James Forrest crafted an opening three minutes after the restart, but Brophy was caught on his heels and failed to latch onto the winger’s cut-back.

Robertson showed no such profligacy, though, sending a wicked strike flying into the right-hand side of the goal from 25 yards out.

Stephen O’Donnell squandered a great chance to make sure of the points with 12 minutes remaining and that miss looked to have proved costly when Kousoulos headed home unmarked from a corner.

Scotland rallied, though, and Burke – on in place of Brophy – was in the right place to meet Fraser’s cross and tap home on the rebound after his initial effort came back off the post.

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