There was utter deflation in the Scotland ranks following the injury-time defeat to Poland at Hampden in their opening Nations League A fixture on Thursday.
Steve Clarke's side needed a positive result and performance to lift spirits after the abject nature of their Euro 2024 campaign which saw them exit the group stages as the worst ranked side in the tournament.
Falling 2-0 behind to in the first half was not part of the script as a familiar-looking Scotland side paid the price for missed chances and mistakes at the back to leave themselves a mountain to climb.
But climb it they did with a stirring second half fightback that saw goals from Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay bring Scotland level as Ryan Gauld and Ben Doak made their senior international debuts off the bench.
But a clumsy challenge from defender Grant Hanley in the fifth minute of added time allowed Poland's Nicola Zalewski to score the winner from the penalty spot to leave the Tartan Army stunned.
The performance was certainly an improvement as Scotland rediscovered the energy, aggression and attacking intent that was noticeable only by its absence during the finals in Germany.
But the result casts further scrutiny over Clarke and his players who now have to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Lisbon on Sunday looking to improve their current record of one win in 13 games.
Who were the Scotland stand-outs against Poland? Who let the side down? Here is how the Scotland players rated for their performance, ranked from worst to best, according to statistics website FotMob.
1. Angus Gunn - 11th
The Norwich goalkeeper was statistically the worst ranked Scotland player on the night after conceding three goals from four shots on target, although this can be viewed harshly given he faced two penalties. Only 40 per cent of his long passes found a Scotland player. FotMob rating: 5.1 | SNS Group
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2. Grant Hanley - 10th
The Norwich defender was culpable for Poland's injury-time winner after lunging into a reckless challenge he did not have to make. While he recorded a 94 per cent pass completion rate, his defensive stats show he won only two of six duels he was involved in. FotMob rating: 5.7 | SNS Group
3. Lyndon Dykes - 9th
The Birmingham City striker managed just one shot in his 71 minutes on the pitch, which went down as a big change missed, while he only had three touches in the Poland box. He won 50% of his duels (5/10) and was successful with only 44% of his passes. FotMob rating: 6.1 | SNS Group
4. Scott McKenna - 8th
The Las Palmas centre-back won 50% of his duels (3/6), made five recoveries and was dribbled past once. He had 94% passing accuracy but only made one pass into the final third. Not guilty of such glaring errors made by his defensive colleagues. FotMob rating: 6.3 | SNS Group