A wet and cold Tynecastle was the venue for today's meeting between Scotland and Israel women's A teams in the EURO2013 qualifying group. Scotland ran out winners by 8goals which keeps us on track for qualification via the best runner up position. Win all the next three games and we should be there. The weather did not help the slickness of the game but Scotland prevailed. There was a larger than usual police presence around the ground due to a pro-Palestine protest and the anthems were interrupted by some protestors who made their way onto the Wheatfield stand but the announcer made his feelings plain by increasing the volume of the Israel anthem much to the delight of the crowd. Their chants soon were ignored as the game started and the first goal was scored by Hayley Lauder for Scotland in under a minute. Kim Little made the fight back for Israel that little bit harder when she thundered in Scotland's second from the left of the box within five minutes. Visiting goalkeeper Merav Shamir warmed her hands in the sixth minute as she pushed a shot from Lauder over the bar. The resultant corner was not cleared and the ball was hit firmly home by Megan Sneddon. Less than ten minutes gone and Scotland were three goals to the good. Israel were yet to get the ball into Scotland's half and Gemma Fay in the Scotland goal was a mere spectator. However, coach Anna Signeul did not look like she was going to relax until the points were secure and she was encouraging her team to continue the assault on the visitors goal. She was still prowling the technical area willing her team forward. They responded well with another goal from Joanne Love whose looping header found the net over the stranded Shamir. Israel were not really making the best use of the ball when they did get it to their feet with hit and hope balls punted forward to nobody. Scotland waited till the 23 minutes when Jane Ross kept going for the ball at the left by-line, cut it back for Little to fire home for her second and Scotland's fifth. Jane Ross was next on the score-sheet as she moved in on the keeper with the visitors looking for offside. Ross beat Shamir before passing the ball into the net. Little was on hand again with a minute to go till half-time to score her third and the home side's seventh goal. The second half started with the drizzle abated and Israel getting more of the ball but to little effect. The Scotland defence were alive to any potential break away or passes into space. Ten minutes gone and no goal for Scotland and it looked like they were taking it a little easier. The half time team talk in the visitors dressing room must have been a good one as the Israel team were tighter to their opponents and not so stretched when Scotland were on the attack. They also were spending minutes at a time in the opposition half when in the first half you could total their time in seconds. As time moved on Scotland were still controlling the game and Fay continued to be a spectator and I cannot remember her actually touching the ball with her hands until the 85th minute. The visitors were tiring and Scotland were maintaining the pressure. However, the chances created by Scotland were going a-begging instead of the ball going into the net. Psychologically, it may have been that 7-0 was enough to inflict on anybody but goal difference may come into play when the count back comes to determine the best runner up that qualifies for the finals. The scoring continue finally in the second half when substitute Rachael Corsie headed home to make it eight nil. While that was the final result and it didn't quite match Scotland's highest win of 17 – 0 against Lithuania in 1998 it did beat their second highest in recent years 8-1 against Bulgaria in April 2010. Scotland: Fay, Jones, Small, Dieke Love, Lauder, Little, Sneddon, Beattie, Ross, Fernon.Subs: Lynn, Ross, Thomson, Corsie, Evans, Brown, Mitchell Israel: Shamir, Ravitz, Redman, Cohen, Shenar, Rachel, Tawil, Erez, Fridman, Barqui, Moran Subs: Kadari, Cohen; Eni, Sendel, Abo, Falkon, Levo Attendance: 817 Referee: Penilla Larsson (Sweden)
Source: FOOTYMAD
