|
|
 |
|
Scotland were
beaten, but by
no means
outplayed in the
opening group 1
match of this
year's Cyprus
Women's Cup.
With the game
poised at 2-1 at
half-time,
Scotland were
eventually
undone by two
quick
second-half
goals.
With top scorer
Julie Fleeting
(Arsenal)
starting on the
bench in her
first match
since the birth
of her daughter,
it was Celtic’s
Suzanne Grant
and Pauline
Hamill
(Spartans) who
lead the line
against a
talented
Netherlands
side.
Grant caused
problems in the
first half,
creating plenty
of space for
herself as
Scotland
controlled
possession, with
Arsenal’s Kim
Little fighting
for every ball
as Scotland
dominated the
midfield.
|
|
|
|
But Scotland
were made to pay
for failing to
find the killer
ball, when The
Netherlands took
the lead in 14
minutes. Manon
Melis pounced on
Hibernian
defender Kirsty
McBride's short
headed pass-back
to knock the
ball past
Scotland and
Celtic
goalkeeper Gemma
Fay.
Grant had a
chance to even
things up a few
minutes later
when she got on
the end of a
long pass from
midfield, but
her lob sailed
over the bar.
Sylvia Smit made
no mistake when
she doubled The
Netherlands'
lead on 28
minutes with a
powerful shot
from just
outside the box.
Scotland
continued to
press forward,
and Grant and
Little combined
to haul their
side back into
the mix on the
stroke of
half-time. A
neat flick from
Little at the
by-line found
the feet of
Grant, and she
knocked the ball
in from
close-range.
The Netherlands
came flying out
of the traps in
the second half,
wrapping up the
game with two
goals inside 10
minutes.
Melis showed
fantastic pace
to race through
the Scotland
defence and lift
the ball past
Fay for her
second. And she
was at the heart
of the fourth
goal, racing
down the right
wing to square
the ball for
Marlous Pieete
to tap in.
Scotland had
lost their
first-half
momentum, but
held firm as The
Netherlands
poured forward.
A great
clearance from
Rachel Corsie on
the half hour
wiped out
another Dutch
chance, and Fay
made a handful
of late saves.
Scotland coach
Anna Signeul
made a number of
changes as the
game wore on.
Fleeting looked
lively when she
replaced Grant,
and linked up
well with Jane
Ross (Glasgow
City) to set up
a late Hamill
chance. Glasgow
City midfielder
Emma Fernon and
young defender
Jennifer Beattie
(Arsenal) both
looked confident
after replacing
McBride and
Ifeoma Dieke
(Chicago Red
Stars).
Anna Signeul
said: “We played
very well in the
first half, even
when we went 2-0
down. We played
through midfield
and created a
lot of chances,
but we should
have been better
with the final
pass and the
ball into the
box.
“We showed that
we are physical,
we can play
football, and we
were absolutely
as good as them,
particularly in
the first half.
But we lost
disappointing
goals – a short
back-pass, a
shot that we
should have
closed down, and
two balls over
the top on the
counter attack.
“The
substitutions
that we made in
the second half
were very
positive. We
changed six
players and I
think they all
did very well,
which bodes well
for the future.” |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
