Page 9 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.5 2020-21

Four minutes later, Kim Little's superb hold up play presented Lisa Evans with a decent
opportunity inside the area. The midfielder shifted it quickly on to her left before getting the shot
away, but it deflected over the bar for a Scotland corner. From the resulting set piece, Jennifer
Beattie towered above the Finnish defence but it was matched by a superb stop from Tinja-Riikka
Korpela between the posts.
Midway through the first half, the visitors threatened when a loose pass was intercepted on
the halfway line, allowing a decent opportunity for Ria Oling to drive at the Scotland defence.
Skipper Rachel Corsie snuffed out the danger expertly, nicking the ball from the advancing
midfielder.
Down the other end, Little went closest to opening the scoring when she collected the ball
inside the box, shaped to wrap a right footed effort on target, but was matched by the dive of
Korpela. With five minutes remaining in the opening half, Martha Thomas' determination nearly
led to a decent opportunity for the hosts. A clever touch to knock the ball beyond the Finland back
line nearly presented a golden opportunity for the forward, but it was slightly over hit and
comfortably smothered by the opposition stopper.
Five minutes in to the second half and Scotland should have taken the lead. A pinpoint cross
from Evans on the right hand side found Thomas unmarked eight yards from goal, but the forward
could not find the target with the free header. Caroline Weir, winning the ball back with tenacity
and driving towards the edge of the opposition box, then went close with an effort from distance
which flashed narrowly wide of the post.
The Scots continued to dominate proceedings but could not find the breakthrough, despite
it looking certain to come just after the hour mark. Darting towards the goal line, a threatening
cutback looked set to be tapped home by Ross inside the six yards, but Korpela did terrifically well
to smother the dangerous ball across the face of her goal.
Another glorious opportunity fell to Scotland and it was courtesy of some excellent footwork
from Little inside the opposition box. Similarly, her dangerous, low ball across the face of goal
looked certain to lead to a goal, but somehow Evans saw her shot from inside the six yard box
blocked.
With just over ten minutes remaining, Zoe Ness was introduced to the action in place of
Thomas and, within seconds, the substitute sent a brilliant, stinging effort towards the bottom
corner, but it was tipped narrowly round the post.
It was a cruel end to the game for the home side after putting so much into the match.
Scotland were chasing a winner when Finland hit them with a classic sucker punch on the break.
Amanda Rantanen - on as a substitute just a minute earlier - was fed the ball as she ran in to the
Scotland half and found herself with
just Lee Alexander to beat. Her goal GROUP E P W D L F A Pts GD
was more fortune than skill as FINLAND 6 5 1 0 18 2 16 0
Alexander's save from her initial shot PORTUGAL 6 5 1 0 8 1 16
bounced up off the Finnish player's SCOTLAND 6 3 0 3 16 3 9 0
face and cannoned back into the ALBANIA 8 2 0 6 7 21 6 0
bottom corner of the net. It would be
the very last action of the game and the CYPRUS 6 0 0 6 0 22 0 0
end to Scotland's qualification hopes.
Scotland: Lee Alexander, Kirsty Smith, Rachel Corsie, Jennifer Beattie, Kim Little, Caroline
Weir, Lisa Evans, Jane Ross (sub Rachael Boyle 64mins), Christie Murray (sub Lucy Graham
64mins), Martha Thomas (sub Zoe Ness 77mins), Erin Cuthbert. Subs not used: Shannon Lynn,
Jenna Fife, Hannah Godfrey, Nicola Docherty, Leanne Crichton, Chloe Arthur, Sophie Howard,
Fiona Brown, Lizzie Arnot.
Finland: Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Tuija Hyyrynen, Emma Koivisto, Ria Oling (sub Elli Pikujamsa
78mins), Natalia Kuikka, Anna Westerlund, Adelina Engman, Eveliina Summanen (sub Essi
Sainio 85mins), Linda Sallstrom (sub Amanda Rantanen 90mins), Emmi Alanen, Sanni Franssi
(sub Olga Adela Ahtinen 90mins). Subs not used: Paula Myllyoja, Anna Auvinen, Eva Nystrom,
Nora Heroum, Anna Tamminen, Julia Tunturi, Iina Salmi, Jutta Rantala.
(www.scottishfa.co.uk)
Issue no. 5 - 3 December 2020 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk