Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 in their opening FIFA World Cup match in Boston on their return to the tournament stage. Steve Clarke's side secured the victory in front of thousands of travelling fans and supporters watching back home in the early hours of the morning.
The Tartan Army descended upon Boston in their thousands to watch Scotland compete at the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Back home, supporters overcame a 2am kick-off time, with fans coming in their droves to a screening at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow to cheer on the national team.
Scotland faced added pressure against Haiti, the lowest ranked side in Group C, with a victory vital to their prospects of progression ahead of matches against five-time winners Brazil and Morocco. Brazil and Morocco played out a 1-1 draw in the earlier match, leaving Scotland at the top of the Group C table after their win.
Match action and opening goal
Before kick-off, fans in the stadium rose to the occasion with a rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland as the national anthems were played. Singer Rod Stewart was among the high profile names who travelled to watch the match at Boston Stadium.
The opening stages saw chances for both sides. Scotland went closest when talisman Scott McTominay struck the post with a shot from the edge of the area, while underdogs Haiti had opportunities of their own early on to increase nerves among Scottish supporters.
The nerves were dispelled and turned into jubilant celebrations when John McGinn gave Scotland a 28th minute lead. McGinn, fresh from a stunning season at Aston Villa, saw a shot deflected into the net off a Haitian defender after Che Adams had seen an effort saved by the goalkeeper.
The midfielder became the first Scotland player to score at the World Cup since Craig Burley netted against Norway back in 1998. The euphoric celebrations of Scotland fans in Boston were matched by those watching back home.
Fan celebrations and broadcast disruption
Bleary-eyed supporters draped in flags and Scotland jerseys were seen embracing after the goal, with beers thrown in the air amid the celebrations. Fans brought an inflatable World Cup replica to the screening, while supporters brought dance moves to the stands in Boston.
Scotland hoped to build on the opening goal, but Haiti continued to pose a threat in attack. Scotland were dealt a scare when goalkeeper Angus Gunn spilled a ball in the area, requiring defender Jack Hendry to head clear to prevent a possible equaliser.
The biggest scare for viewers back in Scotland came when live pictures from the match were temporarily lost on the BBC's coverage. A message reading "ESF USD C" briefly appeared on screen, with coverage resuming seconds later with no major action missed.
BBC commentator Liam McLeod said: "Apologies again if there's a loss of picture, it's a World Feed problem so everyone suffered it. But you're back with us now." The BBC added a message on the screen stating "Sorry for the loss of picture."
Closing stages and bank holiday
A nerve-wracking second half followed as fans back home remained glued to the action after the second half kicked off after 3am. McGinn missed a golden chance to double Scotland's lead and see off the challenge of Haiti, who pushed strongly in the closing stages as they threatened to score an equaliser.
Fans' nerves were visible as the minutes ticked down. Scotland escaped when Haiti's Frantzdy Pierrot headed wide of the target with five minutes remaining, leaving Clarke's team hanging on to their 1-0 lead in stoppage time before the referee sounded the final whistle at nearly 4am back in Scotland.
The victory was Scotland's first at the World Cup since 1990. Celebrations could go on for some time after Prince Charles approved a bank holiday on Monday, which was proposed by First Minister John Swinney to allow people to celebrate after Scotland's opening match of the tournament.