Scotland 3 Georgia 1

Last updated : 30 October 2009 By Ed_ScottishFitba

Anna Signeul reports the result to the nation
Scotland's women took another step towards qualification for the World Cup finals in Germany in 2011 by beating a stuffy - and unfussy - side from Georgia at Tynecastle tonight. The final score was 3-1 but it could and should have been a win by a bigger margin. Six points on the board after two games - Scotland beat Greece 1-0 in Athens on Saturday - means Scotland are second in Group 3 behind Denmark who have played a game more. The Danes were held to nil-nil draw by Bulgaria on Wednesday which was a surprise after they were 15-0 winners over Georgia in their previous game and had won 6-0 against Greece. Scotland may not be able to compete in terms of goal difference for the one place that is available but they are maintaining a steady course. While some may say the women's game is nothing to write home about, the 1,458 crowd, BBC Alba and the numerous photographers and journalists at the game may disagree. Justice Cabinet Secretary Kenny MacAskill was also at the game to see SFA president George Peat present Kirsty McBride with an award in recognition of her 50th cap.


Goal one celebrations

Scotland goals were scored by Suzanne Grant (2) and Kim Little with the Georgian goal scored by Tamriko Kvaliashvili when they were temporarily down to ten players. There shopu8ld have been a longer list of scorers for the home side as they were the dominant side for most of the game. They settled first but were sometime guilty of over complicating the final move when it would have been easier to score. The first half was full of chances for Scotland with Grant linking up well with the Celtic teammate Pauline Hamill but they just could not put the ball in the net. Most of the action was spent in the visitors half but Scotland's nice touches and passing were often let down with the final effort. With the Georgian side looking at least two stone heavier it was not really surprising that Scotland were first to the ball and able to move away from their markers. It was, therefore, all the more frustrating that the first half ended goalless.

Let's make some NOISE!
However, things were looking much better within six minutes of the re-start. First of all Grant scored her goal which was followed within 120 seconds by Little's effort. The relief on the faces of the Scotland players when Grant's goal went in showed just how frustrated they were that it took 50 minutes to score. Two goals in the lead was not an undeserved lead for the work put in by Scotland. Scotland should have been three up shortly afterwards when Jennifer Beattie drove to the by-line on the left and her cross ball along the ground evaded Tamar Nadirashvili in the visitors goal to three Scotland players at the back post. Somehow the ball was scalfed past the wrong side of the post. Luckily I could not see who messed that chance up so her blushes are spared. And they would have been deep blushes as on 50 minutes the Georgian's scored to get back into the game. They were down to ten players as Teona Todadze had been carried off on a stretcher when Ana Pogosyan received the ball on the left hand edge of the penalty box. She evaded the advancing Gemma Fay and lofting the ball into the back of the Scotland net.

It was not till the 79 minutes that Scotland's two-goal advantage was restored. Grant had been unlucky in the intervening minutes with the chances falling to her with one effort hitting the bar when it looked easier to score. This time it was a header which the goalie, who had not looked comfortable all night, was nowhere near. So, with nerves settled again, Scotland saw out the game without too much trouble. Manager Anna Signeul will be pleased to have past the first two tests but her players will have to take advantage of the chances that come their way more readily as they will not be let off so lightly by the like of Denmark.
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