I’m far Fay finished playing at this level
SCOTLAND Kids put in extra yards for great win Gemma not ready to call time on her international career just yet after her star showing against Spain JOY BOYS AND EURO AGONY
BRIAN McLAUGHLIN hailed the lengths his Scotland Under-16 players were prepared to go to humble the Auld Enemy.
The squad, who only came together for the first time last Sunday, destroyed Qatar 7-0 before defeating England 2-0 at Forthbank on Thursday.
The Scots are now going for a hat-trick of wins when they take on Uruguay.
And former Celtic winger McLaughlin said: “When the group met up they didn’t know each other but they trained really hard in double sessions on Sunday and on Monday.
“All we wanted this week was for them to emerge as better players and as a better team.
“When you see how hard they train – up to three times a day – they deserved the feeling they had after beating England.
“What pleased me most is GEMMA FAY is holding fire on a decision on her Scotland future in the aftermath of heartache in the Euro Championship.
Scotland’s record cap holder was expected to announce her retirement from international football following the 1-0 victory over Spain in Deventer.
The Scots missed out on qualification for tomorrow night’s quarter-final against Austria by a single goal as early Group D defeats against England and Portugal came back to haunt them.
Fay, 36, won her 203rd cap against the Spaniards but will now take time to consider her future as head coach Anna Signeul departs and new boss Shelley Kerr prepares to enter the fray.
The Scots are next in competitive action in October when they face Belarus in a World Cup qualifier.
Fay said: “In terms of asking if this is my last performance, I don’t know. It’s a bit rash to make the decision right here and now.
“I’ll take a bit of time and reflect but any decision I make I know we gave our all against Spain.
“To claim a clean sheet at this level against a team like that requires an outstanding team effort but my feelings are bittersweet.
“I’m very proud to lead this squad. People wrote us off but we showed character after the disappointing performances and results of the first two matches.
“We had strength and belief we could win against Spain when a lot of people didn’t think we could do it. I’m very proud we did that.
“It shows Scotland’s women learn pretty quickly. We have been able to pick ourselves up and focus three days after the disappointment of the Portugal result and put on a great performance against a world-class side.
“We’re adaptable and we have strength in depth. We’re not scared of this level. We had to learn fast at our first major championship and that learning will take us to another level next time we qualify.”
Ultimately, Signeul’s squad couldn’t adapt quickly enough to the loss of key players. But the tournament allowed younger players to step forward and show their class, particularly Erin Cuthbert, the Irvine Iniesta, who looks born to perform at this level.
Fay added: “We had a lot of adversity coming into this tournament.
“I know other teams have missed one or two key players but we’ve been down four or five.
“The players who came in have adapted so quickly. We performed really well against a world-class team like Spain and showed our tactical nous and our ability to take chances.
“It’s not often you’ll beat Spain and still go out.
“There is a lot of encouragement for the future. It wasn’t only the young players who stood up against Spain but the experienced ones as well.
“In developing a team it’s really important to find the right balance and Shelley knows that more than anyone.
“She played until the age of 37 and knows the importance of having experience in the team.”
Fay, who plays her club football for Stjarnan in Iceland, made a string of fine stops at the Go Ahead Eagles Stadium to keep her side competitive before and after Caroline Weir’s winner on the stroke of half-time.
But she admits she may have rode her luck a little when she was only yellow carded for a deliberate handball outside the box after the Czech ref decided she didn’t deny the Spaniards a goalscoring opportunity.
She added: “It was a deliberate handball but was the Spanish striker getting the ball? Were there defenders behind me? I don’t know.
“I came out, the ball bounced higher than I thought and I reacted. I go with the referee’s decision don’t I?”