WELL, it was nice while it lasted.

But a win in Croatia and a gritty performance at Wembley does not a reversal of fortune make.

It was business as usual in World Cup qualifying group A when leaders Belgium came to town and left with all three points after winning 2-0.

Now, after their brief-but-welcome revival over the summer, Gordon Strachan's side find themselves back at the bottom of the table - courtesy of Macedonia defeating Wales - and facing the prospect of another long, miserable winter.

It is not all doom and gloom of course. Losing to Belgium, even at home, is no disgrace, and the encouraging shoots of recovery spotted in the previous two games have not all been dug up and thrown onto the compost heap.

They retained enough organisation and discipline to give them belief they can reclaim lost ground and leapfrog Macedonia again next week in Skopje next week.

However, against the Belgians, Scotland struggled to make any real impression in terms of scoring, and without goals, you don't win games.

So, with Kenny Miller in retirement, the sooner Steven Fletcher returns to full fitness and the fold, the better.

Of course, the Belgians are much better furnished in every department, and one look at the list of clubs from where Marc Wilmots draws his talent - Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid - would be enough to undermine the confidence of most opponents in the world, never mind one already out of the race to Rio.

Belgium were the bookies's favourites not only to win the game, but to win the group. And the 7000 noisy supporters who had travelled over the North Sea made it clear they believed this was only a stopping off point en route to next summer's finals in Brazil.

For the Tartan Army, it has long since been accepted it will be a much longer wait before they again grace a major football festival.

Strachan decided to go with live wire Leigh Griffiths as the lone front man, hoping the nuisance value the Wolves striker brings to every game would be enough to unsettle the big men in the Belgian defence.

James Forrest and Shaun Maloney completed the set of pocket rockets charged with trying to deliver some attacking threat and respite.

From the off, it was clear they would need it as the rampant visitors - who have dropped only two points in their first eight games - clearly wanted to get this over as quickly as possible.

The Belgians laid siege to the Scots goal, delivering a barrage of crosses, but without the accuracy to allow anyone to test David Marshall.

Indeed, it was not until the 27th minute the Cardiff keeper was required to make a save, scooping Kevin de Bruyne's 20 yard skimmer at the second attempt.

A dipping volley from Axel Witsel after Hutton had headed a cross clear was another test for the keeper, but everyone could sense the dam had to burst at some point.

That it did seven minutes from half-time. Steven Whittaker mis-controlled the ball mid-way inside his own half, and Marouane Fellaini immediately pounced to feed De Bruyne wide on the right.

His low cross was met perfectly by Porto's Steven Defour, and with one swing of his boot, Marshall was left clutching at fresh air.

It was no more than the Belgians deserved, so long had they been peppering the Scotland penalty area.

By contrast, the home team's best effort to then had been a Scott Brown rasper from 25 yards which whistled just wide.

There was no shortage of energy or application, but too often Scotland's attempts to get into a shooting position had seen them make a frantic dash forward.

Griffiths worked hard until replaced by Jordan Rhodes after 66 minutes. But the service to the front was scant.

They really needed the likes of Robert Snodgrass more involved, but the only mark he made before being replaced by new boy Ikechi Anya came early when he was booked for an elbow on Fellaini, ruling himself out of Tuesday's tie with Macedonia.

The £27.5million Man Utd signing got retribution with a hack at the Norwich man, and was also booked, along with Nicolas Lombaerts.

Credit to the Scots, they refused to bow to the technically and metrically superior Belgians and came back out fighting after the break.

Anya lifted the spirits with his willingness to take on an opponent, and his spin and cross minutes after he came on set up Maloney with a chance which the Wigan man scooped over before Rhodes just failed to convert.

Ross McCormack was thrown on for Forrest in the closing minutes as Marshall kept them in it with two good saves from Du Bruyne.

But Belgium had the final word, Kevin Mirrallas - who replaced Fellaini - showing a clinical finish two minutes from time.

SCOTLAND: Marshall, Hutton, Martin, Hanley, Whittaker; Brown, Mulgrew; Forrest (McCormack 86), Maloney, Snodgrass (Anya 59), Griffiths (Rhodes 67). Subs not used: Gilks, Conway, Naismith, Wallace, Adam, McArthur, Bannan, Samson, Greer.

BELGIUM: Courtois: Alderweireld, Lombaerts (Pocognoli 77), Van Buyten; Witsel, Fellaini (Mirallas 67), Vertonghen; De Bruyne, Defour (Dembele 87), Chadli, Benteke. Subs not used: Mignolet, Casteels, Ciman, Mertens Gillet, van Damme, Lukaku, Simons.