AS Gordon Strachan pays the price for a 10th successive failure of the Scotland men's team to qualify for a major championship, Shelley Kerr and her players will get their 2019 World Cup campaign underway in Minsk on Thursday.
Belarus, as with the three other teams in Group 2, played their opening two matches last month, losing to Poland but beating Albania. As expected, top seeds Switzerland won both their games – but conceded a goal in each and only edged Poland 2-1 at home.
That leaves Scotland six points adrift, but with a home game to follow against Albania a week on Tuesday, and Switzerland not playing this month, they can quickly get back on level terms. Nevertheless, the Swiss then play twice more in November, while Scotland's third group game is not until the sides meet in April.
“I don't see that as being a problem,” Kerr maintained. “You have to get points on the board, and it doesn't matter when you get them.”
The former Scotland captain is taking a very strong squad to Belarus, even if it is disappointing that Hibernian vice-captain Rachael Small, who made an impressive return to international football in last month's 3-0 friendly win in Hungary, has had to pull out with a back injury.
Belarus were stubborn opponents the last time the sides met in Minsk 16 months ago, with Jo Love's early goal required to separate the sides in the Euro 2017 qualifier. The game was also memorable for being Erin Cuthbert's Scotland debut.
“They've climbed two ranking places since we played them,” Kerr pointed out. “They've scored in their opening two group matches and are more attacking-minded than they were, but our main focus is on ourselves.
“It was hard for us to pick the squad, and it will be hard for us to pick the team. You could change three or four players and it wouldn't weaken the side, which is a great headache for us to have.”
ONLY a goalpost prevented Glasgow City from qualifying for the last 16 of the Women's Champions League on Thursday night, but captain Leanne Ross has no cause to berate herself for a well-struck penalty which might easily have gone in.
Kazygurt's early goal rendered City's 4-1 win on the night insufficient. The damage was done in Kazakhstan when the first leg was lost 3-0. Had City even scored once, the outcome would have been different.
Unlike the previous two seasons, the Scottish champions were expected to take advantage of their seeding and join Chelsea and Manchester City in tomorrow's draw. The players gave absolutely everything at Petershill Park, but narrowly failed to get their full reward despite an increasingly inept performance by the visitors' goalkeeper Alexandra Grebenyuk.
TODAY'S trip to Aberdeen will be an emotional one for Chris Roberts. It will be his last game as Hibernian head coach before joining Women's Super League club Bristol City and reuniting with fellow Scot Willie Kirk.
Roberts is one of the most popular figures in the game, and deservedly so. He has also been highly successful, with Hibs having won the last three domestic cup competitions and still in with a shout of winning the treble.
The timing of his departure is unfortunate for that reason, but everybody will wish him well in the professional environment at Bristol. Applications for his post closed on Friday and Hibs hope to have a new head coach in place ahead of the next league game against Spartans on October 29.
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