Thank Evans as Scots keep World Cup bid alive with late goal burst
● Kerr’s side clinch thrilling comeback win over Poland with three strikes in last 12 minutes
Shelley Kerr is not known for a reticent disposition, but even the Scotland head coach admitted she was nearly lost for words as her side came back from two goals down to retrieve their World Cup qualifying hopes with three goals in the last 12 minutes.
Kim Little, substitute Jane Ross and Lisa Evans, with the pick of the bunch, scored the vital goals which keep Scotland only three points behind Group 2 leaders Switzerland with two games remaining.
“For once in my life I don’t know what to say,” Kerr said. “I couldn’t believe we were 2-0 down. I was on the touchline wondering how on earth we were losing the game.
“I’ll take a bit of time to reflect on this one, but overall I thought we deserved to win the game. That result puts us in a brilliant position for the final two games.”
Kerr dropped top scorer ross to the bench, while Manchester City forward Claire Emslie couldn’t be considered after injuring her knee against Belarus. Sophie Howard, Christie Murray and Fiona Brown all came into the starting line-up.
Despite a confident start, Scotland gifted Poland an unnecessary goal in only six minutes. An exchange of passes between Jen Beattie and Lee Alexander resulted in the goalkeeper’s weak kick-out being seized by Dzesika Jaszek. The 22-year-old still had plenty to do but launched the ball over Alexander into the far corner from a tight angle.
Once they had regrouped, most of the attacking and possession in the first half belonged to Kerr’s side but Polish goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek was barely tested and dealt confidently with the corners and crosses which came her way. Erin Cuthbert, playing up front instead of Ross, came in for some rough treatment. The Chelsea teenager took an off-the-ball elbow in the face eight minutes from the interval and received lengthy treatment.
As soon as she came back on she was fouled again. When the same thing happened on her third touch, French referee Stephanie Frappart finally showed midfielder Jolanta Siwinska a yellow card.
Scotland were far more incisive in the second half and Little came close to equalising but her shot was cleared in front of the line by a Polish defender. Yet, just as it seemed Kerr’s side were finally getting some purchase, they fell further behind – and again it was a soft goal.
Polish subsitute Agata Tarczynska sent a harmless lob into the box but right-back Sophie Howard’s sliced clearance ended up in her own net.
It looked all over for Scotland – but they pulled one back 12 minutes from time as Little’s free-kick eluded everybody and bounced into the net.
Two minutes later Kerr’s side, against all the odds, were on level terms. Ross had come on earlier for Christie Murray and she got on the end of a Caroline Weir pass to make it 2-2. Alexander then made a memorable save from Polish sub Julia Matuschewski, stopping her powerful volley with a foot. Cuthbert and Little both hit the woodwork in a frantic finale and the visitors’ pressure finally paid off when Evans accepted a pass from Weir, beat her defender, and cut in from the left before firing a memorable low shot into the far corner.
In the later Group 2 kickoff, Switzerland won 5-0 in Belarus. POLAND WOMEN: Kiedrzynek; Sikora, Grad; Gusciora, Wiankowska; Grabowska, Siwinska, Daleszczyk (Matysik 73), Kamczyk (Tarczynska 58); Winczo, Jaszek (Matuschewski 57). SCOTLAND WOMEN: Alexander; Howard, Corsie, Beattie, Mitchell; Murray (Ross 67), Weir; Evans, Little, Brown (Arnot 75); Cuthbert.