This was the sort of game I dreamt of taking part in as a youngster

FROM agony to ecstasy. That’s the best way to sum up John McGinn’s feelings over an incredible night of all manner of emotions at Hampden and a match that took him from a tired, desperate low to the most euphoric of highs within a matter of minutes.

The Aston Villa midfielder relished his first-ever sell-out as a Scotland player. He admits it was like a dream for him early on. The kind of atmosphere he savoured when he went to internationals as a kid, fantasising over pulling on the dark blue himself at some point.

Yet, with two minutes to play and a hard, exhausting World Cup qualifier with Israel finely balanced at 2-2, everything looked like fading to black. Substitute Ryan Christie picked him out in space in the area. The goal beckoned. With the tank almost completely empty, his effort was blocked by goalkeeper Ofir Marciano’s feet.

How remarkable, then, that McGinn should find one last shred of energy to fire in the corner that resulted in Scott McTominay bundling the ball home at the back post in the fourth minute of time added-on to put Steve Clarke’s side tantalisingly close to securing a play-off place for Qatar 2022.

‘I’ve just got my breath back,’ said the 26-year-old former Hibs man. ‘It was some game but not an enjoyable one to play in.

‘It’s one of those ones where, as soon as you make a mistake, you feel they can put you under the cosh. In fairness to Israel, nobody could have argued if they had got the three points.

‘They are a good side and we’ve seen that over the 90 times that we’ve played them! But we’ve worked hard all week on set-pieces. Over the game, they weren’t amazing. Our throw-ins we could have improved on, but a flick from Jack (Hendry) and Scotty was there to finish it.

‘Those were brilliant scenes at the end and what we’ve been waiting on for a few years now. I was a bit gutted I never got the (goal) at the end. That will definitely go down as a sitter. It was a great pass from Ryan. All I was thinking about was that I was going to be the fall guy on this occasion. I was shattered.

There’s a wee hill at the corner at Hampden where you take the corner and I just had to puff my cheeks out, one last kick and, thankfully, Jack and Scott did the rest. It’s such a humungous win for us.

‘That’s my 39th cap and my first full house for Scotland.

‘It was like the games I used to come to when I was younger — Ukraine at home on a Saturday at three o’clock, the Czech Republic,

the ones where you dream about playing for Scotland.

‘Tonight is one of those and it’s just become a reality. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, but we’re certainly giving the Scottish supporters a team to be proud of again.’

There is no doubt the players enjoyed celebrating with the Tartan Army at time-up. They walked round all corners of the stadium to thank a support that created such incredible noise when McTominay’s winner sailed into the net off his thigh and chest.

McGinn is at pains to point out, though, that this was nothing more than a moment of coming together after so many games of empty stadiums and restricted crowds. It was a moment of sharing.

The minds will be switched back on and nothing whatsoever will be taken for granted when the action gets back underway in the Faroe Islands on Tuesday night, where victory would move the Scots to within one win of securing second place behind Denmark.

‘It certainly wasn’t a case of job done,’ he said. ‘The manager stressed that to us in the dressing room.

‘It was just an appreciation of how it’s been a tough couple of years for everyone, so to thank everyone for turning up and giving us support.

‘It would have been quite easy for them all to leave, but everyone stayed until the end and they got their just rewards.

‘We know we’ve got two big games coming up and, in previous campaigns, those are the games that have tripped us up. We’ll go back, stay focused and be ready for Tuesday.

‘Look at the campaign (in 2007) when we beat France home and away. You look at that and you think it’s a play-off minimum. But then the minute you seem comfortable, that is the minute that you get tripped up.’

In a mixed night for McGinn, he also scored his 11th goal for the national team, bending home a quite beautiful finish just before the

I just had to puff my cheeks out, one last kick and, thankfully, Jack and Scott did the rest