Stark's kids ran out 3-0 winners against whipping boys Luxembourg at a rain-lashed New St Mirren Park, seizing the opportunity to close the gap on Holland to three points, at least for 24 hours until they play Austria tonight.
Yet if the Dutch lose and Scotland can prevail at the Cashpoint Arena on Monday night they will qualify for the play-off round.
The Scotland Colts coach was also delighted to secure his first home win of the campaign at their fourth attempt.
He said: "The result was what it was all about and it was never going to be easy. But we will take the 3-0 win and it sets us up for what is now a cup final in Austria on Monday night.
"We knew that Luxembourg would work very hard and be hard to break down and the conditions favoured them. Maybe there were also nerves in there but I was really pleased with the way we stuck at it.
"All we can do is win on Monday and the important thing is there is a live chance for us to make it to the qualifying round."
Stark also saluted his side's unbeaten seven-game run going into Monday's finale.
He said: "Maybe if we had one more win it would have made all the difference but it has been a great achievement to go through seven games unbeaten."
Although the Scots ran out 5-1 victors in the first meeting between the two sides at the Stade Josy Barthel back in October, three of the goals came from Jordan Rhodes who had been promoted to the senior squad ahead of this encounter.
Yet with Leigh Griffiths, Johnny Russell and Tony Watt all bang on form for their respective clubs Stark had a host of talent at his disposal and it was perhaps a surprise that Celtic's Watt found himself on the bench at the start.
Even more of a surprise was the lack of any real penetration from the Scots early on and it was the visitors who almost broke the deadlock in 25 minutes.
Alessandro Alunni's free-kick picked out Billy Bernard and his downward header was superbly turned round the post by Jordan Archer in the Scots goal.
A Russell strike just four minutes later eventually forced Philippe Hahm into action as the Scots attempted to breech the ranks of white shirts but the visitors were comfortable on the break.
Three minutes after the interval the Scots almost broke through. Griffiths' free-kick was pushed out by Hahm and landed at the feet of Hibernian defender Paul Hanlon. Sadly, though, his lack of composure six yards out resulted in the ball screwing well over.
Despite the fact Luxembourg had yet to harvest a point they continued to prove obdurate and well organised.
But eventually Scotland broke through in 63 minutes. Griffiths' blocked shot found Stuart Armstrong on the edge of the Luxembourg box and he curled home a precise effort that beat Hahm all ends up.
Almost immediately the visitors should have levelled when Tom Laterza snuck round the back of the home rear guard but once again Archer produced a fine save.
But the door was firmly slammed shut on any comeback from the Group 10 back markers when Russell found Griffiths eight yards out and his first time effort left Hahm helpless.
And eight minutes from time a foul on sub Watt by Dzenid Ramdedovic was punished with a penalty, the young Celt slotting home on his U21 debut.
But at the end of the day the result was all that mattered.
