Scotland 7-0 Bosnia/Herzegovina: Scots sparkle

ANOTHER impressive attacking performance gave Scotland a clear advantage in their World Cup qualifying group as Bosnia-Herzegovina were routed at Fir Park.

Jane Ross (left) is congratulated by Leanne Crichton (centre) and Leanne Ross after making it 5-0. Picture: SNS

Scorers: Scotland - Evans (8), L Ross (13), Little (36), Corsie (48), J Ross (55), Spahic (og 65), Lappin (90)

The win, and seven goals scored for the second time in four days, took the home side three points clear of Sweden.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the World Cup qualifiers,” said coach Anna Signeul. “Scoring 14 goals in the first two games, from so many different players, has exceeded even my expectations.

“If somebody had asked me to take a 3-0 win before the game I would have taken it. We have put seven goals past a team which doesn’t normally lose many and also kept a clean sheet.

“We started the game at a furious tempo and the first 15-20 minutes especially were excellent. Despite this great start we won’t take anything for granted and will take one game at a time.”

The Bosnians briefly looked as if they might make a game of it in the opening few minutes, but it proved to be an illusion. Once the Scots got into their stride the opening half was largely played in the visitors’ half. That meant a torrid 45 minutes for right-back Nikolina Dijakovic who, time and again, was left floundering by the pace of Lisa Evans. The Potsdam player was also the scorer of Scotland’s first goal, running on to a fine pass inside the full-back from Megan Sneddon and beating Almina Hodzic in the Bosnia goal.

Five minutes later, in an echo of the opening period against the Faroe Islands four days earlier, the Scots were two up. Glasgow City’s Leanne Ross scored a quick double in Torshavn and she got back on the scoresheet when she rifled the ball into the net following another good move involving Hayley Lauder, Evans and Kim Little.

It was goodnight Bosnia even this early as the visitors were opened up time and again by the home team’s quick passing and movement. Evans had the ball in the net twice more but both were ruled offside and it was left to Little to score Scotland’s third of an excellent opening 45 minutes for Signeul’s side when she exchanged the ball with Jane Ross before rounding Hodzic.

There was no respite for the Bosnians at the start of the second half as they fell further behind, this time to a Rachel Corsie header. Seconds earlier the central defender had forced Hodzic to turn her header round the post for a corner but, when Little sent the delivery over, Corsie again outjumped the defence to score off a post.

The fifth goal arrived eight minutes later and, once again, the outstanding Evans was heavily involved. She raced into the Bosnia box and might have opted to shoot but instead squared the ball to Jane Ross, leaving the striker to turn and fire high into the net.

A free-kick to Scotland, taken by Little, provided the sixth goal, with Bosnian central defender Amira Spahic heading past her own keeper under pressure from Jenny Beattie. Almost inevitably the pace dropped and the seventh goal didn’t arrive until the 70th minute when substitute Suzanne Lappin scored.

Evans, who was far too hot for the Bosnians to handle in the first half, said: “We’ve set our expectations high and this has been a great start to qualifying.

“We want to make the Swedes chase us in the group and we’re ahead now so they have the work to do.”

Scotland: Fay, L Ross (Lappin 67), Crichton, Lauder (Mitchell 53), Little, Sneddon, Beattie, J Ross (Mulvey 71), Corsie, Evans, Brown. Subs not used: Lynn, Docherty, McSorley, Murray.