Kieron Bowie's 3 steps to Scotland heaven after

The Sassuolo frontman hit his first goal for his country and it ensured the current Scotland team avoided an unwanted record 06:00, 05 Oct 2026 Twenty days before, he’d scored in Serie A against Italian giants Juventus. ‌ ‌ But on a rutted pitch in Skopje, in front of a few thousand fans, Kieron Bowie topped it with his first goal for Scotland. When the ball hit the back of the North Macedonian net on Saturday night, it was the highlight of the striker’s career so far. ‌ His goal against Juve was good and it earned his club Sassuolo a priceless win. But for Bowie, it didn’t compare to notching for his country. And boy did new gaffer Sebastien Pocognoli need it? Before this Nations League tie , all the talk was about Scotland’s profligacy in front of goal. ‌ Not since 1971 had the national team gone four games without one. Bowie had been guilty himself of missing chances on his debut a week previously in the 0-0 draw with Slovenia. And if the Scots hadn’t scored within 22 minutes of this game, the current crop would have created a new, unwanted record. Bowie ensured that wouldn’t be the case. With just seven played at the Todor Proeski Arena, he produced a wonderful first touch from Billy Gilmour’s pass on a dodgy surface. His second teed up a shot. And his third was a thing of beauty. Bowie produced a terrific finish from 20-yards that nestled in the bottom corner and got Pocognoli’s side off to a dream start. ‌ It took the pressure off Scotland - and got the monkey off his back. He was annoyed at not scoring more but John McGinn’s second-half penalty secured the victory in Skopje . And afterwards, Bowie was delighted to get off the mark at international level. He said: “The goal I got against Juventus, I thought would be the winner at the time but it wasn’t. Thankfully we still won the game. But this Scotland goal was even better. I like to keep most of my jerseys as a memento and no doubt my dad will be asking for this one. ‌ “When you’re a young player, you dream of playing for your country. To do it and score just feels unreal. I could have scored against Slovenia. “But I got another chance and managed to repay the manager’s faith by getting a goal. I probably scored with the hardest chance I’ve had. That sums up life as a striker. ‌ “There were other ones I could have taken which left me feeling quite angry. But I feel if I get longer on the pitch, I can definitely score a goal. I’ve haven’t had a lot of minutes for Scotland but I’ve managed to get my first goal, so I’m happy with that. “Before the game, I was speaking to a few of the lads about how we needed to get an early goal (to avoid the record). So it felt good to get it when we did because it settled us down and helped with the game-plan. In every game, you want to start fast and score as early as possible.” It was vital to a deserved Scotland win against a poor North Macedonia side. Despite being reduced to 10 men late on when Scott McKenna was sent off, Pocognoli’s team was never in any real danger. ‌ Most of the home fans boycotted the game in protest against their coach, Goce Sedloski, who was criticised for including the son of their federation’s President in his squad. The fact that they had gone 10 games without a win and six without a goal also didn’t help his cause. So Scotland HAD to win, there could be no excuses. They were expected to get three points and the pressure was on strikers like Bowie to produce the goods. Pocognoli’s men should have run up a bigger tally, having passed up a glut of chances in the Macedonian capital. Bowie, Ben Gannon-Doak and skipper Andy Robertson on his 100th cap, all had big chances in front of goal. ‌ And Scotland can’t afford to let better teams off the hook when they’re on top in games like this one. But so early in the manager’s reign, it’s encouraging that we’re creating so much. On Saturday night, the visitors had 25 shots on goal. Right now, Bowie is the man Pocognoli wants as his number nine. He has competition from Oli McBurnie, Robbie Ure, as well as Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland who will return from injury. But the former Hibs front-man welcomes the rivalry. And he says his time in Italy has perfectly prepared him to excel on the international stage. He said: “Having so many quality players in your position means you need to prove yourself in training. You need to be on your game and I just see it as an added challenge. A lot of Scottish fans maybe just remember me from my time in Scotland for Hibs, even though I wasn’t there very long. ‌ “But I feel that since I’ve moved to Italy I’ve improved my game a lot. There are a lot of top defenders in that league so I’ve had to adapt and learn how to play to my strengths. I’ve had to be a bit more street smart. I think that’s been a big thing for me and my improvement in that league. “International football brings a bit of added pressure too. Everyone from the country is watching you so that makes it a step up, more than the actual quality.” ‌ This victory puts Scotland on four points from their first three games in the Nations League. If Pocognoli’s side can make it seven against Slovenia at Hampden on Tuesday night, it’ll be a decent return from his first three weeks in charge. In Skopje, as promised, they adopted an aggressive, front-footed pressing game and North Macedonia couldn’t deal with it. It was a dominant display, rarely seen from a Scotland side away from home against anyone. These players enjoyed huge success under previous boss Clarke but they look like they’re enjoying Pocognoli’s new style. They’re getting after teams in their own half, forcing them into mistakes and creating chances. Article continues below With the pace, guile and invention of guys like Gannon-Doak, John McGinn and Billy Gilmour, there’s plenty to be positive about. They just need someone to score goals. And right now, big Bowie looks like Scotland’s best bet to do it.