SCOTLAND got another lift ahead of their 2015 World Cup qualifying campaign when they extended their unbeaten run to five with a win over Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday.
They did so without six recognised first-team players, including midfielder Kim Little. Two more first-team regulars had to be substituted before the hour mark, but despite ending the game with four teenagers and a recently turned 20-year-old on the pitch, Anna Signeul's side held on for a hard-earned victory.
"It shows what talent we have coming through when we can bring on three debutants and win," Signeul said. "All of them did exceptionally well."
The three – Claire Emslie and Siobhan Hunter, 19, and Caroline Weir, who is 17 – are products of the Hibernian youth system, although Emslie now studies criminology at university in Florida. Another 19-year-old, Emily Thomson, of Celtic, scored on her first start for the senior side, although she had made three previous appearances as a late substitute.
Thomson's strike, from a Hayley Lauder assist, put Scotland two up after only 14 minutes. Glasgow City midfielder Leanne Crichton had opened the scoring, also with her first goal for her country, and right-back Leanne Ross added a third before the interval following a well-worked corner, again involving Lauder.
Iceland twice pulled back the deficit to one goal, but although they were a vastly improved side in the second half they were thwarted by last-ditch defending, and three excellent saves from Gemma Fay.
Three of the teams Scotland have beaten in their five-game run – Italy, the Netherlands and Iceland – have qualified for next month's European Championship. Signeul's side also drew with England, another of the 12 finalists and one of the sides expected to do well in Sweden.
"These results rub in the fact that we're not going to the finals, but we will continue to work hard and develop further," said Signeul. "Our focus is now on the World Cup."
*Scotland under-20s finished fourth at the Den Haag Youth Tournament in the Netherlands yesterday after FK Senica won the third/fourth-place play-off 1-0, their goal coming midway through the first half.
Earlier, Scotland had lost 2-1 to Mexico in the semi-finals of the competition, which consists of matches 50 minutes in length.
Scotland featured six players born in 1996, making them the youngest team to play in the tournament.
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