SCOTLAND'S Euro 2021 qualifier against Albania was so far off Kirsty Hanson's radar 10 days ago that she didn't even know what country it was being played in. Being drafted in as an injury replacement for West Ham striker Martha Thomas changed the picture entirely, with the 21-year-old having a senior debut to remember on Friday.
Named, with justification, as player-of-the-match, Manchester United's Hanson could have scored after just 11 minutes. She cut in from the right before firing in a powerful left foot shot which produced what was to be Albanian goalkeeper Viona Rexhepi's best save of a totally one-sided contest.
Hanson admits to being caught off guard when told by Shelley Kerr earlier that afternoon that she was going to start. “I was surprised, but so honoured – it was amazing,” she reported.
“When Shelley first rang me to tell me I was being called into the squad I didn't know we were going to Albania – I thought the game was at home!”
One aspect of returning to the Balkan country didn't fill Hanson with joy. Like Erin Cuthbert, who scored Scotland's third goal in the 5-0 win at the Elbasan Arena, she was a member of the U19 squad which travelled there for Euro group qualifying in 2016.
Hanson, whose record for the junior Scotland side was eight goals in 14 games, scored a hat-trick in an 11-0 rout of the hosts in the first game. The second, against Cyprus, was won by 8-0. That set up a group decider against Serbia but, infamously, it never took place and the Serbs were eventually awarded a win.
“That's was horrendous,” Hanson recalled of an episode which saw the squad falsely accused of drinking the night before the game when in fact they had been struck low by gastroenteritis. “When I realised we were going back there I thought: 'Oh great!'.”
Friday's game was a curious one with the Albanians appearing to have regressed since the two games between the nations in World Cup qualifying which delivered a 5-0 Scotland win in Paisley and a 2-1 in Shkoder. To be only two ahead at half-time was, as Kerr admitted, disappointing given all her side's possession, but the second 45 was more productive and gave the scoreline a better sheen.
Having studied Portugal struggling to a 1-0 win at the same venue without taking advantage of the wide areas last month, Kerr correctly put an emphasis on attacking down the flanks. Lisa Evans was nominally picked at right back, but spent most of her minutes pushing up behind Hanson. On the other side Emma Mitchell, returning for the first time since the game in Albania 14 months ago, complemented the scorer of the opening goal, Claire Emslie.
Evans provided the cut backs for two of the second half goals, while Spurs defender Hannah Godfrey, who was also making her Scotland debut, got her name on the scoresheet. The 22-year-old may, however, have to brace herself for some dressing-room banter when she gets back to London as it took three attempts to prod the ball over the line.
As with Hanson, Godfrey came into the squad as an injury replacement. The player, who has a Scottish mother, showed up well, but she and captain Rachel Corsie had so little defensive work to cope with that judgment will have to be reserved on that core aspect of her game.
The two new caps didn't know each other before meeting up in Edinburgh at the start of the week – although Hanson had the bragging rights. She scored one of the goals when United beat Spurs 3-0 in the Women's Super League, but neither had a clue they would be Scotland team-mates less than four weeks later.
Corsie, who has decided to take a well-earned rest over the winter rather than return to Australia to play there, said of Godfrey: “Off the pitch she's been a fantastic addition. It can be difficult to come in last minute.
“She's very positive and brings something fresh.”
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