Pedro Martinez Losa loses first game as Scotland fall to Sweden in friendly encounter

Pedro Martinez Losa lost his first game as manager of Scotland after his side went down 2-0 to Sweden in an international friendly on Tuesday evening.

Scotland's Christy Grimshaw looks dejected as Sweden celebrate their opener. Picture: SNS

Barcelona attacker Fridolina Rolfö climbed off the bench to score the opening goal with 18 minutes remaining before a late Sophie Howard own goal put paid to any chance of Scotland getting anything from the match.

This was Martinez Losa’s fourth match in charge after succeeding Shelley Kerr as manager this summer. Scotland were victorious in the other three games, including Friday’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Hungary in which captain Rachel Corsie scored an injury-time winner.

After some tense opening exchanges, which saw Christy Grimshaw go close with a header, Sweden ramped up the pressure as the half drew to a close with goalkeeper Jenna Fife making a fine stop before the visitors struck the bar and had a shot cleared off the line by attacker Erin Cuthbert.

Substitute Johanna Rytting Kaneryd missed a brilliant chance to give the away side the lead when she knocked her finish wide after going through on Fife, though Rolfö would ensure her team-mate didn’t rue that opportunity when she fired in a shot from 25 yards that the Rangers keeper could only push into the corner of the net.

The match was then wrapped up in the 87th minute when Fife’s pushed clearance of a Sofia Jakobsson cross struck Howard on the heel as she tried to jump out of the way. The Leicester City defender could only look on helplessly as the ball dribbled into the back of the net.

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