Scotland's long-awaited re-appearance at a major international tournament ended in misery on Monday afternoon after a Patrik Schick double downed the Tartan Army at Hampden Park.
Schick opened the scoring with a deft header in the first half, leaping higher than Leeds United's Liam Cooper and fellow Scotland centre-half Grant Hanley.
Then, shortly after the restart when Scotland were probing for an equaliser, Schick produced a moment of class, lobbing David Marshall from 50 yards.
The encounter as a whole was a far from enthralling encounter, but Scotland created enough to draw blood.
Agonisingly though, they could not find the net.
Liam Cooper was a surprise inclusion in the Scotland starting XI, as Arsenal and national team favourite Kieran Tierney missed out with a knock.
That meant Cooper filled in at left centre-back in Steve Clarke's back three.
It is a position Cooper is not exactly familiar with, and while he came through the game without incident, his performance was hardly a crowd-pleaser with Scotland fans.
@TamMullen_x said on the final whistle: "Liam Cooper aswell, not interested, no drive to get anything done. Tierney well missed today."
@LiamCampbell_95 vented following the 2-0 defeat, singling out Cooper: "Can't believe what I've just watched, Stephen o'donnell is hopeless, Liam Cooper is a joke of a defender, Lydon Dykes is a big useless shambolic excuse for a striker, as for major national competitions see ye in another 20 year"
Meanwhile, @ScottKillen88 was no less scathing: "Liam Cooper and Stephen O'Donnell should be nowhere near the team for the next games"
Cooper was singled out by Darren Fletcher in BBC Sport's post-match coverage, as the former international described just how much Tierney was missed.
Overall, Cooper's performance was relatively uninspiring and far from some of the imperious defensive displays witnessed in a Leeds United shirt this past season.
This is relatively unsurprising given Cooper has never been more than a bit-part player under Steve Clarke, and with this only his sixth cap over a two-year span, the 29-year-old is unlikely to have gelled with his international teammates.
Nevertheless, if Tierney cannot overcome his 'niggle' as Clarke described it pre-match, then Cooper may well be in the starting line-up to face England this Friday.
