Smith told BBC Radio Scotland: “It’s a tremendous result and certainly the best I’ve ever had as a manager.
“We were under tremendous pressure in the first-half and they had one or two chances. But we got stuck in, defended stoutly and got a bit of luck.
“We want to remain competitive throughout the qualifying campaign and this is a great start.”
Smith added: “We knew France would have a lot of possession and territorially they had us pinned back.
“But in the second half we improved our passing and they didn’t create many clear chances.
“It’s a fantastic win and a great reward for all the hard work that all the players put in.”
