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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Alison McConnell

Nightmare night for Scotland as Lionesses run riot at Hampden

England did not have any need to worry themselves about the fighting talk that came from the Scotland camp in the build-up to this one.

Pedro Martinez Losa and Rachel Corsie were furious at media suggestions that there could be a somewhat compromised situation for them given the Team GB scenario that was playing out at Hampden.

As it was, Scotland could barely have rolled out the welcome mat any more to accommodate their English visitors. There was a sting in the tail for England as the Netherlands pipped them to the top spot on goal difference was immaterial for a Scotland side who should feel shamefaced at the nature of this display. 

After goals from Alex Greenwood, a brace from Lauren James and further goals from Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and Lucy Bronze it got to the stage where the 15,320 inside Hampden cheered for the rare Scotland forward forays as though they were cheering for a lucky fan who was plucked from the stands to try and score a goal such was the pantomime end to this one.

This was woeful from Scotland. There is an argument about the loss of key players in this campaign - and Caroline Weir would be a loss to any side - but this last three months has shone a light on the chasm that exists between Scotland and the elite level of women’s football.

Ambitions to get back to another major tournament after sitting the last two out will feel significantly dented by this reality check.

Scotland started as though they had a point to prove as they tried to cause England problems but their achilles heel throughout this campaign has been a soft centre.

It was visible again in the cheap concession of a 12th minute goal when Mead landed a corner directly onto the head of Greenwood who, in miles of space, steered her effort past Lee Gibson and into the bottom left-hand corner. Rushing to collect the ball and take centre immediately, England’s urgency was notable.

Scotland, though, did their best to hit them off their stride. Lisa Evans went down in the box with Romanian referee Alina Pesu deaf to the cries of the home support as she waved play on.

Rachel McLaughlan tried to curl an effort from the flank that produced a punched save from Mary Earps as Scotland gamefully tried to find a goal. England, though, always carried menace in the final third. 

A straightforward long ball from Keira Walsh cut through Scotland with ease with Mead not able to capitalise. There was a growing sense of an inevitable second given the dominance with which England had.

But for the width of a post Wiegman’s side would have doubled their lead when Lauren Hemp somehow managed to whack the woodwork from close range after James had put the ball on a plate for her.

Claire Emslie almost punished that profligacy when she flashed an effort across the six-yard line that had the beating of Earps but without anyone in a blue shirt able to get themselves onto the end of it.

That was the end of the resistance as England turned the screw with two goals in a minute from James as the visitors asserted their superiority, albeit with a little bit of fortune.

McLauchlan’s clearance had fallen kindly for James on the edge of the box with her effort taking a massive deflection off of Rangers captain Nicola Docherty and wrongfooting Gibson.

If it knocked the stuffing out of Scotland there was worse to come with James again picking her spot as she curled in an effort from the edge of the box.

Gibson seemed to get a fingertip to it but could not do enough to keep it out. From there on in, it was watching the game through splayed fingers time for Scotland.

The fourth came when James turned provider as she picked out Mead who thumped an emphatic finish into the top corner.

The second half picked up where the first had left off. It was Kirby this time who got in on the act. Scotland allowed Georgia Stanway the freedom of Hampden as she advanced down the right-hand side before tapping the ball into the net.

She might have had her second and England’s sixth a minute later when she swung a boot at an effort that looped just wide.

Earps pushed a Scotland effort onto the post before England went straight up to the other end and added a sixth with Bronze thinking she had done enough to take them through.

There was heartbreak for them with the news of The Netherlands 95th minute goal but Scotland’s were broken way before then.

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