SCOTLAND coach Anna Signeul yesterday reflected on a job well done as her side reached the halfway stage of Euro 2017 qualifying with maximum points, staying well on course to reach the finals in the Netherlands.
Just two nations have played four games and got 12 points – the other being defending champions Germany. The Scots also have the satisfaction of being top scorers in Europe, with 24.
“We’re not at our peak level,” the Swede claimed. “We still have a lot of developing to do both individually and as a team, but I think every campaign we have got stronger and stronger.”
The 10-0 demolition of Macedonia at the Paisley 2021 Stadium was the most impressive of the four performances to date, even if it was against the weakest team in the group. Unlike the visitors, most of the Scotland players are out of their club seasons but, in freezing conditions, it was the first sustained 90-minute display of the campaign.
Just about all the creativity and threat came down the left side, where full back Hayley Lauder and Lisa Evans caused havoc. Lauder provided most of the first-half assists and scored one herself. Trying to find the same blend on the right is an issue Signeul will have to address.
The coach was pleased with the way wide attacking midfielders Jo Love and Evans got into the box for crosses, adding to the pressure on Macedonia goalkeeper Viktorija Doneva, who had a highly uncomfortable afternoon.
Love’s hat-trick, added to two in the home match against Belarus, was a bonus. The 29-year-old, a holding midfielder for Glasgow City, had scored just seven goals in 160 internationals going into this campaign – now she has 12 from 164.
Another pleasing aspect is the goals are being shared around the team. Jane Ross, who scored four on Sunday, leads the way with six, but eight players in total have found the net. Ross now has 42 from 89 games, moving her to within three of Kim Little as the squad’s top scorer.
Scotland should go six points clear of Iceland when they host Slovenia on April 8, as the top seeds don’t return to action until four days later with a trip to Belarus.
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