Signeul:We still have a chance – if we sink Spain

SCOTLAND’S women need their greatest result in history if they are to stay on course in the European Championship.

Anna Signeul’s squad flopped against Portugal in Rotterdam last night as dodgy defending and slipshod striking saw them downed 2-1 in Rotterdam.

The Scots must now defeat Spain by at least two goals on Thursday night to qualify for next week’s quarter-finals.

But the Scots have yet to taste victory in five games against the Spanish, one of the emerging superpowers of the women’s game.

The Scots are rooted at the foot of Group D without a point but England’s 2-0 win over Spain last night left the Scotland boss adamant her squad can still finish in the top two.

Signeul said: “We’re not out of it, we still have a chance. We have to beat Spain and it would have to be by 2-0.

“We deserved better than we got against Portugal. We should have been up 2-0 at one point in the first half and unfortunately couldn’t put the ball in the net.

“We also lost an unlucky first goal and it put us on the back foot. I am proud of the players. They haven’t had the marginals on their side since we qualified for the tournament.

“We have lost a lot of players and it’s not easy to start with a new starting XI again.”

Lana Clelland passed up two great scoring chances and Vaila Barsley made two defensive howlers either side of Erin Cuthbert’s equaliser.

But Signeul added: “We’re not blaming individual players in any way. We lose as a team.”