Kim Little scored five goals as Scotland kicked off their UEFA Women’s Championship campaign with an 8-0 thrashing of Cyprus.
Scotland settled into dominating Cyprus in front of an Easter Road crowd of 6,206 after getting away with consecutive defensive errors, and were ahead on 10 minutes with a Claire Emslie header from Lisa Evans’ cross.
Little scored twice before the break, firstly when rounding the keeper from a Caroline Weir through ball and secondly with a finish in off the far post after being fed by Jane Ross.
Kim Little ⚽️⚽️🔥#OurGirlsOurGame | #SWNT
(via @BBCAlba)pic.twitter.com/QqZisYiHc5— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) August 30, 2019
Ross then scored herself after the restart with a tap in and when Eleni Ttakka spilled the ball, Little completed her hat-trick.
A perfect Zoe Ness pass led to Little’s fourth, she glanced in a header for her fifth and Weir rounded off the scoring after a one-two on the edge of the box.
Hansen hat-trick as Norway net six in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland gifted Norway the first two goals in a 6-0 home defeat with poor pass-backs, as Guro Reiten chased one down from Sarah McFadden and bundled the ball home after hesitation by Jacqueline Burns Hutton, then Ashley Hutton’s pass out the keeper under pressure again and Caroline Graham Hansen nipped in to steal the ball and smash it home.
Rachel Furness went close three times for the Irish but even after their good start to the second half, Hansen drifted past a couple of defenders to smash the ball in from an angle.
Hansen completed her hat-trick on 72 minutes, Norway’s fifth came from an unfortunate ricochet as an attempted clearance by Julie Nelson went in off Amalie Eikeland, who scored again when set up by Hansen.
Holders hit seven
3️⃣ punten in de pocket 👌#ESTNED pic.twitter.com/LCEPGLIB6d
— OranjeLeeuwinnen (@oranjevrouwen) August 30, 2019
Netherlands began their defence of the trophy in Estonia with a 7-0 win, which included braces by Vivianne Miedema and Sarah Spitse. Jill Roord, Dominique Bloodworth and Ellen Jansen added one apiece.
Czech Republic enjoyed a similar start in Moldova where six different players got on the scoresheet for the visitors.
Margarita Chernomyrdina’s 25th-minute effort was enough to give Russia the points in Slovenia.
Kosovo made an impressive debut in the competition with a 2-0 result over Turkey, with first-half goals by Modesta Uka and Lindona Syla.
Bosnia & Herzegovina began by thrashing Georgia 7-1 with six different scorers.
