Sophie Howard ensured that Scotland left Hampden on a positive note after she netted a dramatic leveller in the dying seconds of  the UEFA Nations League tie against Belgium.

It cancelled out Kassandra Missipo’s opener although the midfielder may not find the warmest of welcomes should she return to Glasgow any time soon.

Certainly, Pedro Martinez Losa was still irked after the game after he lost Caroline Weir after just 20 minutes, a move that he felt had been a deliberate ploy by the Belgium internationalist. 

“First of all I am very angry,” said the impeccably polite Spanaird who was cautioned by the official. “We had an injury to our best player and the deliberate part of that was very important.

“Standards at this stage are at a high level. We were punished the other day. The referee was not aware of what was going on with Weir and with Kirsty Hanson and I don’t think she was properly looking.

“When [I was booked] I was telling her that there were two or three tackles when she was following the ball but contact was arriving intentionally.

“The tackles were arriving late but she is not seeing it because she is following the ball. I had to do something. I cannot not let her know. I tried to talk to the fourth official too but she was not interested.

“I was insisting and she showed me a yellow card but I had to remind her.

“We were without one of our best players and that for me was very frustrating. We don’t know yet what the injury is but Caroline clearly could not play on. I was told that it was her knee but it was a knock from the other player.

“From the beginning the doctor was saying she probably could not play on but she was determined to try.”

Given how instrumental Weir had been in the early exchanges - setting up a corner, teeing up Kirsty Hanson and generally running the show in the middle of the park - it was a clear frustration for Martinez Losa to lose her.

Scotland had started brightly with Claire Emslie, Kirsty Hanson and Christy Grimshaw all making themselves known but, to their credit, they were able to sustain their early endeavours with Amy Rodgers coming in as Weir’s replacement.

For all their dominance and chances in the opening period, Scotland might have been undone when Belgium screamed for a penalty when the ball seemed to brush the arm of captain Rachel Corsie.

If the lack of VAR was a curse on Friday night it may well have been a blessing inside Hampden.

It would have been harsh on Scotland, though.

Grimshaw almost turned the chances into a tangible lead when she forced Evrard into an excellent one-handed stop as she palmed a header that looked destined for the bottom right-hand corner around the post.

There was the unusual sight of the impeccably mannered Martinez Losa going into the book after his frustrations got the better of him as Scotland toiled to find a way through.

As Missipo netted with a goal that undermined Scotland’s good work - and revealed that soft centre that still plagues them - there was a palpable frustration on the bench. Howard had allowed Missipo to run in and convert at the back post, a cheap goal to lose.

She atoned in the dying stages of the game. Goalkeeper Lee Gibson, on her 50th Scotland appearance, had sent a dipping ball into the box that Howard got on the end of to atone for her part in the opener.

It was no less than Scotland deserved.

“I am very proud of the team,” said Martinez Losa. “I think the way we played, we deserved more from the game.

"We were aware we had a very difficult opponent. They compete very well with a game plan and were very good at executing it as we could see. I think we created many chances.

“We knew at half-time that we had to stay in the game and I think we deserved the point.

“We had many chances, I think they had one.”