The home side took the lead after just five minutes and Ilcho Naumoski's strike proved to be decisive as Srecko Katanec's men held on to claim all three points.

The searing temperatures in Skopje were always going to be an issue for the Scots and they lacked a cutting edge for the remainder of the game, failing to find the goal that would at least have allowed them to put an early point on the board.