With 20 minutes of this game still to go, Scotland were praying for the shrill sound of the whistle such had been the fraught nature of what they were forced to ensure against The Netherlands.

It was always going to be a difficult evening for Pedro Martinez Losa's side given the loss of the influential quartet of Caroline Weir, Sam Kerr, Erin Cuthbert and Emma Watson but the ease with which goals were conceded and the lack of defensive awareness will alarm the Spaniard.

It is impossible to build a team capable of competing at the top level and at major tournaments when the defensive ground beneath them appears to be constructed on quicksand. As such, it is nigh on impossible to get a solid footing in such games with teams picking holes in the rearguard without having to work too hard for it. 

Such was the start that there was no real surprise about an opening goal that came after just 12 minutes and put Scotland onto the backfoot before they had managed to draw breath. 

There was a statuesque element to the Scotland defence as the Dutch set the tone for their evening.

Kerstin Caspari breezed into the box unchallenged and her deflected cross was met by van de Donk who had the simple task of tapping home from a front post run that no-one had picked up on.

READ MORE: Neil Doncaster elected to serve on Board of European Leagues

Very quickly there could have been another with Lee Gibson forced to dart off her line to smother the danger after the Dutch had broken at speed from a Scotland corner.

Gradually, Martinez Losa’s side managed to muster a couple of chances of their own. Claire Emslie will kick herself for not making more of a gift after Aston Villa and Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar slid out for the ball but failed to hold it.

Kirsty Hanson also forced the keeper into a fingertip save just before the roof fell in on Scotland with their defending undermining their tentative recovery in the game.

An initial effort from Jill Roord was thumped into the ground but Sophie Howard sclaffed the clearance and the ball fell invitingly to the feet of Esme Bryugts who steered a low effort well beyond the reach of Gibson.

Within seven minutes of the restart, the hosts had notched it up another level. 

Defender Caitlin Dijkstra played a simple launched ball but it was allowed to drop behind a Scotland backline that was all over the place. Lineth Beerensteyn allowed the ball to bounce before aiming a delicate dink with the outside of her right boot over the advancing Gibson.  Her second and Holland's fourth game via a header as she got herself up and over Rachel Corsie. 

By the time that the Netherlands brought on Vivianne Miedema, her first national appearance since an 11-month absence because of an ACL, in the closing stages it felt like adding salt to the wounds.