Scotland Women 1-1 Spain Women: Late leveller denies Scots

Just as it looked as if Scotland had saved themselves the fate that befell them three and a half years ago in Madrid, lightning struck again, this time at the Falkirk Stadium. Nevertheless coach Anna Signeul was able to take a more sanguine view of Spain's late equaliser.

In eerily identical circumstances the earlier goal had cost Scotland a place at Euro 2013. This time it was merely a win in a friendly.

In another parallel, Arsenal right back Emma Mitchell scored in Madrid and another last night seemed to have given her side a welcome win. Instead, in the 92nd minute, Virginia Torrecilla again denied the Scots following a corner.

“I didn’t really think about what happened in Madrid – and this time we didn’t lose the game,” Signeul pointed out.

“I’m very pleased with the performance. We redeemed ourselves after losing to Sweden in January and showed we are a good side.

“We had a totally new back line and their positioning and decision making was very good.

“We had a problem in the midfield in the first half when we couldn’t get close to them and they were playing around us. But Kim Little took huge responsibility in the second half and that was a game-changer. It was very impressive the amount she ran.

“All in all it was an excellent preparation for the Euro qualifier against Slovenia next month.”

It was the Spaniards who initially looked the more comfortable in what must have been the unfamiliar and unwelcome Falkirk chill. Playing assured possession football, they hemmed the Scots back in their own half for the opening ten minutes.

Although there were some early scrambles in the home box, Scotland weathered the early storm and were almost rewarded when Jane Ross and her namesake Leanne executed a classy one-two which could have put Little in but she was just denied by Spanish keeper Dolores Gallardo.

That proved to be a rare excursion in the direction of the visitors’ goalkeeper with Spain dominating the possession with characteristically precise passing.

Even so, it wasn’t until 
midway through the half that the Spaniards created their first worthwhile chance – Amanda Sampedro directing a looping header on to the roof of the net.

Scotland started much more positively in the second half and shook Spain by taking the lead in the 56th minute. Mitchell had minutes earlier almost put Jane Ross in with a low cross, but this time she fired in a high one and Gallardo assisted it into the net.

The goal was badly needed in the deteriorating conditions and opened up the game. Putellas had two good chances in four minutes, but blasted the first one over the bar and Fay saved the second.

Scotland, too, were much busier in attack than the first half and Little, who had an outstanding second 45 minutes, tested Gallardo with a well-drilled low free kick.

The longer the game went on the more likely it looked that Scotland would hang on comfortably for the win. Then, with two of the three extra time minues played, Torrecilla struck.

It was, yet again, a cruel denoument for the Scots, but equally a draw reflected the efforts of both sides.