A seven goal rout was not the result Scotland boss Anna Signeul and her players were hoping for in the first friendly of their Euro 2017 warm-up campaign REPORTS CATHERINE ETOE…
Netherlands (ranked 12th in the world) were ruthless in Livingston last night (Thursday), and a complete team performance saw them outgun Scotland (ranked 21) in front of 1,326 fans at the Tony Macaroni Arena.
There were chances for Scotland to get on the scoresheet, with Lisa Evans, Caroline Weir, Jane Ross and second-half substitute Fiona Brown all carving out opportunities, but it was the Dutch who proved to be more clinical in front of goal.
Typically, it was prolific striker Vivianne Miedema who broke Scottish resistance in the first-half with a thunderbolt volley then a simple header after Manieke Dekker’s shot had fizzed off the crossbar and into her path.
Sandwiched in between those goals was a remarkable effort from FC Twente’s Lineth Beerensteyn who sprinted from the half-way line and brushed off the challenge of Scotland captain Ifeoma Dieke before slotting past Shannon Lynn in goal.
Injuries deprived Scotland of the impressive Joelle Murray and Jo Love at the start of the second-half (the side were already withoout Rachel Corsie, Kim Little and Jen Beattie due to injury and illness) and although the home side picked up their game, substitute Shanice van de Sanden menaced their defence and it was only a matter of time before they succumbed to a fourth. Renee Slegers delivered that blow, slotting in a Van de Sanden pass.
Keeper Lynn was injured as Ellen Jansen scored the fifth and Liverpool striker Van de Sanden swiftly put the ball beyond her replacement Gemma Fay for the sixth. The seventh arrived nine minutes from time, courtesy of a determined effort from FFC Frankfurt’s Jackie Groenen in a crowded penalty area.
The disappointment at losing heavily to the Netherlands on home soil was palpable when Signeul met the media after the match. But both she and Hayley Lauder, who was nursing a bag of ice, were at least able to strike a note of optimism. Here’s what they had to say…
Scotland Head Coach Anna Signeul
On the result:
“It was very disappointing. They played really well I think, they played on our weakness also, long balls in behind us all the time and on the break when we were attacking, right in behind.”
On the first-half:
“We were too far away from them in the first-half, we didn’t go into tackles, I think they were stronger, they were faster, they ran more than us.”
On the second-half:
“I think we corrected it in the second half and I think we were much better but still we lose 4-0 in the second half. We played higher up the pitch and were physically better but there were too many one v ones in our own half and too many mistakes. So it’s very disappointing, seven goals you know, how often do you lose with seven goals?!”
On the bright side:
“The only thing positive you can say is it’s better that it comes now, I also think it shows that we need to play these games.”
On not having key players at her disposal:
“When we have players that normally play like Jennifer [Beattie], Rachel [Corsie] and Kim [Little], and we don’t have them on the pitch and they are the ones that can play these kind of games. We have more players playing in the domestic league, they do their absolute best of course, but it’s just a different tempo. It’s also in these games that you get these injuries. We had to play in the second-half with Frankie Brown as centre half and she is just back from injury, has played two 45 minutes with her club team [Bristol City]. But that’s the reality for us, we don’t have players in all these positions, we don’t have depth in our squad.”
On the youngsters:
“I think [Notts County’s] Leanne Crichton showed when she came on in the second-half and that she wanted to compete. The young players that came on, that was positive.”
Glasgow City forward Hayley Lauder (who hails from Livingston)
On playing in her home town:
“Yes, I’m a Livingston girl and it was nice to come down and have a lot of family here that maybe can’t get to some of the games.”
On being a role model to girls at local teams:
“I remember playing at Murieston [United Girls] and players like Shelley Kerr were from Livingston, it’s good, we pride ourselves on being positive role models and I hope tonight they still take that message away with them.”
On the Netherlands and the result:
“They’re 12th in the world and they did show their class tonight, obviously we’re disappointed with the result and we do have players missing, but at the end of the day it’s July that we need to be peaking for and we can really learn from this experience.”
On her injury:
“I’ve got whiplash I think!”
TEAMS:
Scotland: Shannon Lynn (Gemma Fay), Emma Mitchell, Joelle Murray (Frankie Brown), Ifeoma Dieke, Kirsty Smith (Rachel McLauchlan), Leanne Ross (Fiona Brown), Joanne Love (Leanne Crichton), Hayley Lauder (Erin Cuthbert), Caroline Weir, Lisa Evans.
Netherlands: Loes Guerts, Mandy van den Berg, Merel van Dongen (Siri Worm), Manieke Dekker, Vivianne Miedema (Ellen Jansen), Danielle van de Donk (Jackie Groenen), Renate Jansen (Shanice van de Sanden), Renee Slegers, Kika van Es, Kelly Zeeman, Lineth Beerensteyn (Eshly Bakker).
