SCOTLAND'S players stepped up to the plate at Hampden on Tuesday night, providing a performance which offered hope for the future. Losing 2-0 to Spain, who haven't lost a game for over two years, was a better outcome than most in the 7804 crowd had expected.
Sam Kerr's energy in midfield justified her first start in a World Cup qualifier, and throughout the team there was a purpose, cohesion, fight and desire to prevent Spain from dominating. It was a very welcome contrast to previous performances both in this campaign and the previously failed Euro one.
Erin Cuthbert she and her team-mates were genuinely disappointed they had lost, which also indicates a positive mental shift since the 8-0 rout in Seville. The Chelsea midfielder, playing her 50th Scotland game, survived a worrying few minutes when it seemed she had been shown yellow cards in two separate incidents by referee Esther Staubli, but one was for Lisa Evans.
So, credit to the players, and also to Pedro Martinez Losa. Being able to train and prepare in Edinburgh for eight days, instead of making the scheduled trip to Lviv for the return qualifier against Ukraine, clearly reaped benefits.
Unfortunately, it is looking more and more likely that the Russian invasion is going to make it impossible for the Ukrainians to fulfil their four remaining fixtures. The first two are the most important for the outcome of Group B – against Scotland and Hungary in Lviv at the end of June – and they are followed by away games against the Faroe Islands and Spain early in September.
Should the tragic circumstances continue, Scotland could be left in an almost unassailable position to qualify for the play-offs. Ukraine's draw at Hampden would presumably be removed from the group results, as would third place Hungary's home win over the same opponents.
That's not an outcome anybody wants, however, and Uefa say they will “continue to monitor and reassess the situation as it evolves”.
AND ANOTHER THING....
WHAT was an inauspicious start to the season for SWPL clubs in the Scottish FA's east region is ending on a much brighter note. To recap, Forfar Farmington were forced to withdraw from the league and cup competitions, followed by St Johnstone coming within hours of folding.
The Perth club not only survived, but are now, according to Sam Milne, the SFA girls' and women's development officer for the area, starting to thrive. Dundee Utd, who were runaway winners of SWPL 2, will be in the top flight next season, while Montrose have been promoted to the second tier after winning Championship North in a similar fashion.
Milne had to intervene to try to save St Johnstone when the team's general manager Steve Grossi and head coach Jason McCrindle, who had worked hard to keep the operation running in near-impossible circumstances, resigned.
“The whole thing was about to fall down,” Milne confirmed. “But from the get-go I had really positive talks with (chairman) Steve Brown and the club has really stepped up.
“I said to to him you can let it fail or you can take it. There is no in-between.” Previously the club had done little more than lend their name to the side.
Such has been the subsequent buy-in that Grant Scott, who was appointed to a dual salaried role of general manager and head coach, now has an office inside McDiarmid Park and can knock on doors when required. It came too late to give the club a realistic chance of promotion, but Milne believes that will quickly follow.
“It's a great atmosphere now and I'm really excited for them going forward,” she said. “I don't think they will be far away from being a Hibs or a Hearts in the next couple of years – provided Grant stays.”
As for Montrose, who play their home games at Links Park, Milne said: “They are a fantastic example of how it all works. They've got the community trust which does some amazing stuff growing the girls' section, while the women's team sits within the main club.”
Having more teams from across Scotland in the SWPL is vital for growing the game. As things stand, the central belt is over-represented.
AND FINALLY...
FOLLOWING the record competitive game attendance at Hampden on Tuesday, there will be the opportunity for a new club one next Sunday. The thrilled reaction of the Aberdeen players, never mind the Rangers ones, to the announcement that the SWPL 1 fixture has been switched to Ibrox summed up the value of playing games at main club grounds.
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