DESPITE serving up one of their poorest 45 minute-spells for a long time at a very blustery Tynecastle last night, Scotland still have the opportunity to make amends in Rotterdam on Thursday.

Anna Signeul's side were almost overwhelmed by a pacy and powerful Netherlands side in the opening period, but Kim Little's early second-half penalty keeps the Women's World Cup door ajar, despite this 2-1 first-leg defeat.

"We are better than we showed in the first half," Signeul said, adding that the second leg can still "absolutely" provide a route into next month's play-off final against either Italy or Ukraine.

"The more the game went on the more we came into it. We did well in the second half and had some great opportunities, especially from set-pieces," she pointed out.

"In the return game we need to be more aggressive - like we were in the second half - and win the second ball.

"Holland are very fast on the wings and we had problems with that at the start. They are a very good team and have classy players in every position, but it's not over yet."

The visitors started with a purpose which the hosts never matched in the opening 45 minutes, and it was no surprise when they took the lead on ten minutes. The front four of Manon Melis, Danielle van de Donk, Lieke Martens and Vivianne Miedema had already shown they had the pace and power to make it a very uncomfortable night for Signeul's side, and Martens it was who got the first.

The goal was assisted by the 18-year-old Miedema, who sent in a low shot from 20 yards which Scotland captain Gemma Fay could only parry out. The ball fell kindly for Martens, who placed it past the home goalkeeper with ease.

Although holding midfielder Rachel Corsie was off the pitch receiving prolonged treatment for what emerged as a suspected broken nose at the time, the pattern continued on her return. Almost inevitably, Holland went two up midway through the half when Scotland right back Frankie Brown pushed Miedema in the box, allowing Melis to send the ball expertly past Fay.

Scotland's miserable start to the match continued when Hayley Lauder, who was marking Melis and had a calf problem in the build-up to the game, was replaced by Emma Mitchell.

The home side were struggling to put any cohesive moves together, and Fay prevented any further damage eight minutes from the end of the half when she denied Melis, who had been allowed to run through on her, with a good save.

After being dismantled in the opening period, Scotland badly needed to assert themselves in the second 45 minutes and they only had to wait for three for a goal to arrive. Dutch central defender Stefanie van der Gragt handled in the box, allowing Little, by far the home side's most effective player, to make her customarily accomplished job of scoring from the spot.

The lift from the goal made for a more even second half, with both sides carving out decent chances. Melis had two of the best, shooting into the side-netting for the first and then being denied by another good save by Fay.

Fortunately for the home crowd, there was also increased activity at the other end. Scotland came closest to equalising when Lisa Evans' free kick was powerfully headed down by Jenny Beattie only for the experienced Loes Geurts to dive to her right and touch the ball round the far post for a corner.

With the game in injury-time, Melis missed a great opportunity to put the tie beyond Scotland's reach.

Switching to the left she again bore down on Fay and she looked certain to score, but the ball struck the far post and rebounded to safety.

In the other semi-final first leg, Italy beat Ukraine 2-1 in Rieti. The home side scored in the first minute, but the away goal gives Ukraine, the outsiders among the four play-off teams, a realistic chance of causing an upset on Thursday.