Women's Soccer Scene

Women's Football News


Latest News	Women's Football TV	News Archive	Search	Get the Mag

Share page on Social Media: f Share t G+ find us on Twitter: @wssmagnews
Women's Football News

Away goal heartbreak for Scotland

Women's Football News 31 Oct 2008

Scotland defeated Russia 2-1 in a thrilling second leg in Nalchik but agonisingly missed out on a place in the UEFA Women's Championship Finals on away goals.

The Scots were devastated to miss out on a place in Finland after recording their first ever victory over the Russians. Spare a thought for Pauline Hamill also, who scored all four Scottish goals over the two legs but still finished on the losing side.

The 13,500 supporters in the Spartak Stadium created a cauldron of noise as they willed on the home side, but Scotland controlled much of the game, limiting Russia to a handful of clear cut chances.

Pauline Hamill had a couple of early chances before Russia took the lead against the run of play when Scotland defender Ifeoma Dieke swung at an Olga Petrova cross across the area and fired the ball into her own net in the 20th minute.

Russia grew in confidence but Scotland continued to press forward with Jennifer Beattie and Suzanne Grant amongst the players just missing the target.

After the interval, Scotland, now playing three players up front, continued to push and Hamill gave them hope in the 64th minute as she scored from a free kick.

With five minutes left, the aggregate was suddenly levelled as Hamill again popped up to head in and put Scotland ahead on the day.

However the elusive third goal would not come and in the dying minutes, Olga Letyushova and Natalia Barbashina both hit the post for Russia.

Scotland: Gemma Fay, Leanne Ross, Jennifer Beattie, Ifeoma Dieke, Michelle Kerr, Joanne Love, Suzanne Grant (sub Natalie Ross 63mins), Kim Little, Megan Sneddon, Julie Fleeting, Pauline Hamill. Subs not used: Joanne Hutcheson, Frankie Brown, Julie Ferguson, Rhonda Jones, Amy McDonald, Kirsty McBride.

Russia: Elvira Todua, Ksenia Tsybutovich, Elena Suslova, Olga Sergaeva, Oksana Shmachkova, Anna Kozhnikova, Tatiana Skotnikova, Elena Fomina, Olga Petrova, Olesya Kurochkina (sub Olga Letyushova 90mins), Natalia Mokshanova (sub Natalia Barbashina 60mins). Subs not used: Elena Kochneva, Natalia Pertseva, Olga Poriadina, Nadezhda Kharchenko, Ekaterina Sochneva.