Scotland 0-6 England: Lionesses run riot but miss out on National League finals as Netherlands score twice in stoppage time to finish above them… with late blow also ending Team GB’s hopes of qualifying for Olympics
England could not have done more. To top their Nations League group and keep their hopes of qualifying for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB alive, they needed to beat Scotland by as wide a margin as possible and hope that would be enough.
Lucy Bronze scored to put England back on top after the Netherlands had just overtaken them with a goal of her own against Belgium. When the full-time whistle blew for England, the Dutch scored a fourth goal in the 95th minute to put them ahead again.
It was cruel. But England did not lose their chance of Olympic qualification here. They lost it in Belgium, where poor defending saw them lose 3–2. They also lost in the Netherlands, where a lapse of concentration saw the Dutch claim a late 2-1 win.
They will look back on this League of Nations campaign and wonder what might have been. But perhaps in the long term, a summer break after back-to-back major tournaments isn’t the worst thing for this group of players.
They couldn’t have given more at Hampden Park against a hapless Scotland team. England knew they needed a fast start and they did just that when Alex Greenwood gave them the lead in the 13th minute.
Alex Greenwood opened the scoring for England with a header from a free kick in the 13th minute.
Lauren James scored twice within a minute to give England a 3-0 half-time lead.
The defender went unmarked from a corner and headed past the helpless Lee Gibson.
England should have had a second on the half-hour mark when Lauren James picked out Lauren Hamp at the back post, but the striker could only hit the post from five yards out.
Just after the Netherlands had taken a 1-0 lead over Belgium, James struck twice within one minute to give England a 3-0 lead. The first saw Nicola Docherty take a wide deflection from Gibson, but the second was beyond doubt – a fantastic shot that found its way into the top right corner.
One more goal was needed to put the Lionesses top of the group and it came just before half-time. James was again involved in a sensational overhead pass that took Meade down on the right flank. The striker needed one touch before he fired past Gibson and into the back of the net. It was Mead’s first goal for England since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament last November.
The Lionesses knew they had more goals to score in this game and it was 5-0 three minutes after the break. Georgia Stanway drove down the right flank and cut past Kirby to fire home from two yards. Bronze then headed home the sixth goal with the final kick of the game, but it wasn’t enough. The England players huddled together as the Dutch scored. It was a brutal way to end a memorable year for a special group.
James’ fantastic strike found the top right corner for the third goal in the 39th minute.