DESPITE being second best to a slick Italian side for the first hour in Larnaca, Scotland came close to snatching a draw after fighting back strongly with goals from Emma Mitchell and Kim Little after they had gone 2-0 down.
It was a second Cyprus Cup defeat in three days for Anna Signeul's side, but the coach showed she had one eye on the future, and the Euro 2017 qualifiers in particular, by fielding two 19-year-olds in crucial positions.
Most strikingly, Glasgow City goalkeeper Megan Cunningham, who has only recently joined the champions from Hamilton Accies, was preferred in goals to the team captain and 181-times capped Gemma Fay. It was the teenager's first start for Scotland, although she did come on as a late substitute in last month's 4-0 friendly win over Northern Ireland.
Her club team-mate, Fiona Brown, was also given a start, this time as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the usual occupant of that place, Jane Ross, played wide right in the three behind Brown. In Fay's absence, Kim Little was given the captain's armband.
When Scotland went 2-0 down midway through the second half, with Christiana Girelli adding to her 18th minute goal, it looked ominous for Signeul's side. But Mitchell, with a back post header from a Little corner, responded almost immediately - and Little herself equalised ten minutes from time, collecting Lana Clelland's through ball and rounding Italian keeper Katja Schroffenegger before slipping the ball in the net.
The Italians, on level terms after a game they had dominated, were rattled and briefly looked as if they might concede a third - but substitute Stefania Tarenzi put paid to any notion of that in the 90th minute.
Even so, Scotland nearly got back on level terms again in injury time. Little sent in a lovely cross and Clelland, the former Spartans player who has joined Bari in Serie A, came agonisingly close to getting the touch which would have brought a goal.
"Of course we want to win every game," Signeul said, "but the competition for places in the squad is fierce and with the next Euro qualifying coming up we want to give all the players a chance to show what they can do. It was good to see that today.
"All the Italian goals came from crosses and we defended really badly on them. Girelli was really strong in that area and they were winning almost every cross.
"Of course we want to win every game, but the competition for places in the squad is fierce and with the next Euro qualifying games coming up we want to give all the players a chance to show what they can do."
Although it was a difficult first start for Cunningham, she stuck by her task well and kept Scotland in the game with some good saves between the first two Italian goals.
"I was very nervous before the game," the 19-year-old admitted. "I can take a lot from the game - and there are obviously a lot of things that I can improve on."
Teams
Italy (4-3-3): Schroffenegger; Guagni, Bartoli, Linari, Cimini; Carissimi, Straachi, Cernoia (Rossucci 83); Girelli, Sabatino (Tarenzi 63), Gabbiadini (Bonetti 77)
Scotland (4-2-3-1): Cunningham; Frankie Brown, Dieke, McSorlish, Mitchell; Weir (Crichton 46), Corsie; L Ross (Clelland 69), Little, J Ross (Lauder 60), Fiona Brown (Murray 85)
Referee: O Zadinova (Cze)
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