Scotland women’s team get French lesson ahead of Euro play-off

By ALAN CAMPBELL
Published on 20/09/2012 00:52

SCOTLAND were comprehensively beaten by France at Tynecastle but still have a Euro 2013 play-off to look forward to.

Scorers:

France - Delie (16, 72), Le Sommer (33, 65), Necib (64)

Strikers Marie-Laure Delie and Eugenie Le Sommer scored two apiece and Louisa Necib got the fifth but France were fortunate that goalkeeper Celine Deville wasn’t red carded near the end for denying Lisa Evans a blatant scoring chance which would have brought Scotland some much-needed consolation. With six players from Champions League holders Lyon in the French side, and the rest of the side all full-timers, Scotland coach Anna Signeul conceded the contest had been unequal. She said: “French football is just brilliant. Technically we are getting better and better, but physically we still can’t compete.”

With the 5pm kick-off keeping the attendance down to just three figures, it was quickly evident that Scotland had little chance of a win, never mind the four-goal margin they needed to qualify automatically for next summer’s finals in Sweden. A presentation to Celtic midfielder Megan Sneddon by SFA president Campbell Ogilvie to mark her achievement of reaching 100 caps earlier in the summer was just about all the Scots got out of the game and it was not the happiest of birthdays either for left-back Emma Mitchell. The Scots could have got some consolation when Evans was brought down by Deville but the score did not flatter the visitors.

Scotland: Fay; Brown, Jones (Beattie 74), Corsie, Mitchell (Grant 69); Love, Little (Fernon 83), Sneddon, Lauder; J Ross, Evans

France: Deville; Meilleroux (Soyer 61), Renard, Boulleau; Soubeyrand (Catala 61); Franco, Abily (Thomis 77), Necib, Thiney; Delie, Le Sommer

Referee: S Spinelli (Ita). Att: 700