THE first part of the recovery mission has been completed for Scotland. Now the job must be finished if previous failings are to be somewhat forgiven and forgotten.
The defeats to Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland in the summer rocked Steve Clarke's side. The results were abject and costly, but it was the manner of the performances that really hit home at Hampden.
A hat-trick of fixtures to round off the Nations League campaign offered a shot at redemption, a chance to make amends to the Tartan Army if not completely repair the damage of the World Cup play-off exit.
Overcoming Ukraine in such emphatic fashion on Wednesday night was a significant step in the right direction and the meeting with the same opposition in Krakow next week should, if it all goes to plan, see Scotland top the table and secure a shot at the European Championships.
First and foremost, Clarke's side have another point to prove. That disastrous drubbing in Dublin still stings and is still fresh in the memory of defender Jack Hendry as Scotland attempt to settle a score back on home soil.
"For sure," Hendry said when asked if the Ireland game was a chance to keep building the momentum. "It was good to bounce back from a summer disappointment against Ukraine.
"As I said, I think we were due the country it. We’ve got really good players in that dressing room and a really good coaching staff.
"It’s always been a really good group. It’s just been finding the key to get us to major tournaments like the World Cup. Performances like the one against Ukraine will help.
"As a footballer, it’s never nice to get beat. But I think the manner we got beat that day wasn’t good.
"I’m sure everyone in that dressing room is motivated. I’m certainly motivated on Saturday to go out and put in a performance that makes the country proud.
"We let them down in Dublin and we don’t want to do that again on Saturday. Thankfully we got a positive result against Ukraine.
"It’s always good to have that winning environment in the dressing room. We go into Saturday’s game with a lot of confidence."
Scotland would compound their misery in June as the 3-1 defeat to Ukraine was quickly followed by the 3-0 loss at the Aviva Stadium. It burst the bubble and raised fears for the future.
The significance of the victory in midweek, coupled with the way it was achieved, cannot be underestimated. It must now act as a foundation and an inspiration.
Hendry said: "As a complete performance, with the amount of shots we got off and how much we locked in and prevented them getting chances, it’s definitely up there.
"I don’t think they had a shot on target. It wasn’t just the backline. I think through the whole team it was a really good collective performance.
"Ukraine are a top side. They have very good forwards who pose a good threat going forward.
"To stop them having a shot on target says a lot. But, as I say, I think it’s about what we did collectively as a group.
"I think the boys were desperate to bounce back from the summer. Obviously, it was disappointing to lose against Ukraine.
"So we were due one for the country. We’ve got to continue this now.
"We’ve got two very important games coming up. We’ve managed to get to the top of the group and it’s in our hands to stay there."
It wasn't just the final outcome that changed in the Ukraine rematch as a John McGinn strike and two headers from Lyndon Dykes put Scotland in control of the section and gave Hampden hope once again.
A switch in tactical approach from Clarke paid dividends. Hendry partnered Scott McKenna at the heart of a back four and the blueprint for success was laid out.
Hendry said: "It was a bit of a change of formation and not a lot of time to work on it, but the boys took everything the coaching staff and gaffer told us on board and it probably couldn't have gone much better, with how much of a threat we were in the second half and the goals we got, as well as the lack of shots against us. I think it was a real collectively good performance.
"[We found out about the tactical change] when we got in on Monday morning. We obviously analysed what went wrong in the summer, what we did well, what we’ve got to improve on.
"I think it was touched on to be that bit more aggressive. The change in formation certainly did that.
"It was a couple of days of trying to take in as much information as possible and then trying to put it into practice. Thankfully, it worked."
Clarke now has plenty of food for thought as he prepares for the final two fixtures in League B1 and eyes promotion up the Nations League ladder as well as that all-important play-off spot for the next finals.
The ambition is to finish with a flourish and six points. But that target may not need to be reached for Scotland to achieve their goals in the coming days.
"I wasn’t aware of that," Hendry said when it was pointed out that two draws would be enough to secure top spot for Scotland. "Obviously it’s always good to fall back on if something does wrong but we’re looking to win both games, that’s for sure.
"We’ll go into those games with the mentality to win them. I think we’ve got that culture in the group to try and win every game we play in."
