Shelley’s Scots produce the goods

SCOTLAND produced the goods in Paisley to give Shelley Kerr a convincing win in her first home game as head coach. The three points against a stuffy Albanian side puts the Scots top of Group Two on goal difference. The home side, with Claire Emslie prominent, made a bright start in the rain. The Manchester City forward tested Marigona Zani before Jane Ross directed a header wide. The second wave of pressure brought the opening goal on the 20-minute mark. Zani just managed to tip a shot behind for a corner but, from the set-piece, the keeper managed to turn the ball into her own net. Ten minutes later, Chloe Arthur rattled the woodwork and Fiona Brown slammed the rebound home. A two-goal deficit at the break was a decent outcome for Albania — but they lost another two early in the second half. Zani was at fault after failing to hold Jen Beattie’s longrange shot. The ball fell to Ross, who scored her 53rd Scots goal from close range. The fourth quickly followed and was the pick of the bunch as Emslie curled her angled drive from 25 yards into the far corner. The fifth goal arrived with eight minutes to go. Substitute Lisa Evans had come close to scoring seconds earlier and made no mistake the second time, nodding in from an Emslie cross. Afterwards, player-of-thematch Emslie said: ‘My goal was one of those ones if you hit it perfect, it’s great — if you get it wrong, it’s hitting Row Z. I’m delighted it hit the back of the net.’