SCOTLAND'S under-21s were made to pay for a host of missed chances last night as they were defeated by a Netherlands team which was not as impressive as the scoreline might suggest.

Billy Stark's side showed no sign of a hangover from a 6-0 mauling at the hands of England last month and should have added at least a point to their European Championship qualifying tally.

Stuart Armstrong, Tony Watt and Ryan Fraser each spurned chances when sent clear on goal, while Stuart Findlay also headed an effort against a post as the young Scots impressed in Nijmegen. It was cruel, then, when the home side avoided such profligacy to score four times in the second half and ensure a comfortable, albeit flattering, scoreline.

The true nature of the match was such that Stark extolled his players for their performance afterwards. "If I evaluate the performance then I couldn't be happier," said the Scotland under-21 manager. "We didn't deserve that and could make a case for getting something out of the game, as ridiculous as that may sound when you look at the scoreline. We should have been ahead at half-time and showed a continental style of play.

"We have only lost one game in these championships and proved that the England game was a freak. I'm proud of my players and if people just want to look at results there's nothing we can do about that. I couldn't have said I would have been as confident we would play as well as that - I counted six clear-cut chances. We are going through a spell just now which is really tough. Holland are favourites to win our group so nothing has changed that much."

There was no repeat of the dreadful start which offered such an uncomfortable portent for events at Bramall Lane last month - when England went ahead after just two minutes - and the Scots even created the game's first chance. Fraser, who was making his first start at this level, tapped a shot wide inside the opening five minutes, following excellent work from Dylan McGeouch. Fraser, who has become a regular started for Bournemouth, was presented with a chance to atone for that miss soon afterwards but just failed to connect with Fraser Fyvie's driven cross from the right wing, before Armstrong then tested Warner Hahn, the Dutch goalkeeper, with a low shot.

A trend had been established and the Scots were inches away from scoring a superb opening goal after 20 minutes; Armstrong and Fyvie combining to send Fraser skipping away down the left. He duly teed up Watt to shoot and, after Hahn saved the initial shot, the ball rebounded off Dutchman Stefano Denswill and trickled inches wide. Armstrong then flashed a header past a post, too.

The Scotland captain had questioned his own performance against England and had further cause for remorse here, contributing another miss midway through the first half. He robbed Kyle Ebecilio of possession and raced in on goal, only to lift his shot over the crossbar.

It took just seven minutes of the second half before the Scots' spirits sank. Jordan McGhee arrived in time to thwart Marco van Ginkel in the box but the ball fell kindly for Tony Trinidade de Vilhena to clip a shot over Jordan Archer.

Fraser would miss another chance by the time the Dutch added a second - the former Aberdeen winger seized on Ryan Jack's through ball but shot at Hahn - with Luc Castaignos, the Twente Eschede striker, forcing the ball past Archer after playing a clever exchange of passes inside the penalty area after 69 minutes. The goal pained Scotland more since Findlay had not long directed a header against the woodwork.

The sight of spurned chances had become tiresome and Scotland were noticeably wearied as their hosts scored twice more to embellish their victory - Mike van der Hoorn and substitute Jesper Drost both scoring.