It was a resoundingly good window for the Scotland Women’s National Team as the quest to qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup began with two wins from two.
Scotland consolidated last week’s 2-0 away win over Hungary with a 7-1 victory against Faroe Islands on Tuesday night at Hampden. The win rounded off a very positive ten days with the squad under new head coach Pedro Martinez Losa.
The 4-0 half-time scoreline against the Faroes was well earned and it showed glimpses of the team’s intent in possession. Meanwhile, there felt like there was a renewed hunger about the way the team performed as a collective across the two games.
The Faroes match itself was expected to be largely one-sided, with the bottom seeds in Group B having already lost 10-0 in their opening qualification game against Spain. It is important to give the due respect to all International opposition, and we were well warned beforehand about our playing standards to ensure we started on the front foot.
During the early stages of the match in Glasgow, we were very much the dominant side, although clear-cut opportunities were limited by the Faroese defence. However, when Erin Cuthbert found space just outside the box, she wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to add to her Hampden collection. On the 20-minute mark, her long range strike found the far corner to give Scotland a deserved lead.
The goal allowed the team to relax a little and, unsurprisingly, the next two goals followed in quick succession. Aston Villa midfielder Chloe Arthur scored her first goal for her country 90 seconds after the opener, before bagging another. Both of Chloe’s goals were near-identical headers from crosses which came from good play down the right hand side.
There would be more history to follow, as Stonehaven’s Christy Grimshaw also bagged her first Scotland goal to complete the first half scoring. She did well to calmly slot the ball in at the back post through a crowd of bodies.
Ahhhhhh so buzzinggg 😍😍😍😍😍💙💙💙💙 https://t.co/uAhZDWnRxu
— christy grimshaw (@christygrimshaw) September 21, 2021
While the game was well under control, the second period began with a lapse in concentration. An unnecessary corner led to Maria Biskopstø nodding in at the front post to tarnish an otherwise very good performance.
It was a warning for Scotland, and a reminder we must continue to improve in certain areas.
On the hour mark, Martha Thomas put the Scotland fans back in celebration mode as she drilled the ball into the bottom corner to make it 5-1. This was followed by substitute Jenna Clark marking her first Scotland cap with a goal, as she found herself wide open in the box just four yards out.
Claire Emslie rounded the scoring off with an unstoppable free-kick from 20 yards out to make sure the night ended on an emphatically positive note.
To add to the occasion, it was magnificent to enjoy fans, family and friends being back in the stands and the stage is set for the team to return to Hampden for our next qualifying match – against Hungary on October 22.
It is the greatest privilege to play for 🏴 & I am beyond grateful for so many opportunities to do so.
For now, pleased with two wins from two and lots more huge games ahead for #SWNT 💙 https://t.co/BzSIrmuase
— Rachel Corsie (@RachelCorsie14) September 21, 2021
Grimshaw making most of Scotland opportunity
Stonehaven’s Christy Grimshaw is relishing her opportunities with the Scotland National Team, following her first call-up to the senior squad in June after impressing for AC Milan.
With a number of midfielders unavailable for selection due to injury, and Kim Little’s recent retirement from international football, it has opened a door for the 25-year-old.
She has featured in every game since her first inclusion and once again impressed last week.
What a moment 😍 2 strong wins to finish a positive camp and a great start to our campaign 💙 pic.twitter.com/zgJAELpXZm
— christy grimshaw (@christygrimshaw) September 22, 2021
Meanwhile, while we’re on the north-east, Aberdeen Women sit joint top on SWPL1 going into this weekend’s clash with Spartans.
The Dons will travel to Edinburgh hoping to make it three wins in a row.
English top flight is back with all eyes on Sunday double-header
FAWSL fixtures resume this weekend following the busy international schedule.
The early kick-off will see bottom two strugglers Everton face Birmingham City, with both teams hoping to secure their first points of the new WSL season.
Everton have had a very tough start to their league campaign, losing to Manchester City and Chelsea by the same margin, 4-0. While the fixture list was rather unkind, the defeats were substantially more damaging than expected given the investment over the summer by the Toffees.
For Birmingham City, they will be looking to bounce-back after their own 5-0 defeat to Brighton before the break.
On Sunday, the television cameras will capture a hotly-anticipated double-header, as last season’s top four will face-off against one other. First up, Chelsea will travel to Manchester United, before Arsenal take on Manchester City in the late game.
For Manchester United and Arsenal, they will both be looking to continue their flawless starts to the league season.
There is some early pressure on Manchester City, who have already lost in the league and made an early exit in the Champions League earlier this month, too.
Meanwhile, for Chelsea, they will not want to drop any more points at this stage after an opening day defeat by the Gunners.
Both Tottenham and Brighton have also managed two wins in their opening games and will host Reading and Villa this week, as they look to stay at the right end of the table.
The final game will be another opportunity for Leicester to earn their first points in the top flight as they travel to West Ham.
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