Scotland v Poland

Scotland 3-0 Poland
2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying – UEFA Group 2
St Mirren Park
Tuesday 10th April 2018

A Tuesday night qualifier in Paisley for the second time in this campaign as Scotland reach the halfway stage of this qualifying tournament for next year’s World Cup in France. This will be an unapologetically biased post, I’m sure.

The Venue

St Mirren Park, which is still technically known as the Paisley 2021 Stadium – in a sponsorship deal with Renfrewshire Council to promote the city’s failed bid for UK City of Culture 2021 – sits in Paisley’s west end and is accessible from just off the M8. The stadium was opened in January 2009 when the club sold their previous Love Street ground to Tesco. In my opinion, it’s one of the best examples of a modern, purpose built all seater stadium.

Built with four stands, the ground has a capacity of 8,023. The East Stand, which houses the changing and corporate facilities has a slightly lower capacity than the West, while the North and South stands, which sit behind either goal are virtually identical. All four stands have a fantastic, unobstructed view, with the North Stand being the usual section for away support. Only the East and West stands were open for spectators tonight. The first game at the ground was a Scottish Premier League tie between St Mirren and Kilmarnock on January 31st 2009 that finished 1-1. The crowd of 7,452 that day is still the stadium’s attendance record.

The Teams

Following on from competing at their first ever major international tournament at last summer’s European Women’s Championships, Scotland were full of hope as they looked to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. Former Arsenal Ladies and Stirling University manager Shelley Kerr took over from longstanding head coach Anna Signeul following the Euros. Record cap holder and captain Gemma Fay, Leanne Ross and Ifeoma Dieke all also retired following the campaign. New captain Rachel Corsie, currently at Arsenal, and midfield talisman Kim Little, who has returned to Arsenal after a spell in the States, have both returned from injury in recent months to give the squad a boost. Kerr has picked a squad with a solid mix of youth and experience.

The campaign started last October with a 2-1 win in Belarus, with goals from Jane Ross and a second half own goal cancelling out the home side’s opener. It was followed up with a 5-0 win over Albania in Paisley five days later, with another own goal opening the scoring before Ross, Fiona Brown, Claire Emslie and Lisa Evans added to the comfortable scoreline. Winter and spring training camps saw a defeat to Norway, a draw with Russia and two 2-0 wins over New Zealand before resuming the qualifying campaign in Switzerland last Thursday. A 1-0 defeat to the top ranked Swiss means that with 3 games played, Scotland sit third in the group with 6 points from 3 games. Tonight’s opponents Poland are second on 7 points having played 4 games, and Switzerland have a 100% record from their five games played to top the group.

Poland have never reached a major international tournament and are currently ranked 30 in the world, seven places lower than Scotland. Their campaign started with a 4-1 home win over Belarus in September, which was followed by a narrow 2-1 defeat in Switzerland four days later. Their third game saw a 4-1 win in Albania back in November, but the Albanians secured a surprising 1-1 draw in Poland last Thursday to leave them with 7 points at the halfway stage of their qualifying campaign.

The Game

It was a scrappy start to the game, with neither side really able to get any footing on the match in the opening ten minutes or so. Poland had the first meaningful attack of the game after 7 minutes, but captain Rachel Corsie’s well timed tackle put pay to Ewa Pajor’s attempts. It took fourteen minutes for Scotland to mount any real attack, but when they did it was very close to the opening goal. Claire Emslie picked the ball up on the right wing and cut inside, leaving Paulina Dudek in her wake before firing a shot just inches over the bar from the angle of the box. Scotland attacked down the right again four minutes later when Lisa Evans was played in on the overlap by Emslie, only to see her cross sail over the heads of everyone in the box.

With 19 minutes played, Poland actually had the ball in the net, but Ewelina Kamczyk had been blown for offside well before she poked the ball into the empty net. The game was opening up by this point, and Emma Mitchell’s cross was met by Emslie on twenty minutes, but she couldn’t direct her header past the Polish defence. Two minutes later, Kim Little linked well with Evans, but the defence shepherded the ball harmlessly behind. Poland’s best chance of the first half came after 24 minutes from a well worked corner routine. Katarzyna Daleszczyk found herself with the ball at her feet around 12 yards out, but she blasted her shot high into the South Stand. Jane Ross was cutting a lonely figure up front on her own for Scotland, but her hold up play was bringing opportunities. With twenty seven minutes gone, she did extremely well to keep the ball in on the bye line and laid it back to Emslie. Her inviting cross was however a couple of inches too high for the onrushing Fiona Brown to reach and the ball drifted behind.

Scotland were in the ascendancy but couldn’t find the finishing touch to round anything off. Brown’s searching run down the left a little after the half hour mark resulted in a cross that fell agonisingly behind Ross and Caroline Weir, and Emslie, who was causing the Poles, and left back Dudek in particular, major problems every time she got hold of the ball sent in another sublime cross on 36 minutes, which none of her team mates could manage to get on the end of. It was however the Poles who finished the half stronger, with two good chances in the last five minutes. Kamczyk first beat Mitchell on the left hand side, but could only fire her shot straight at the grateful Lee Alexander. And with just a minute left in the half, Aleksandra Sikora found space on the right, but saw her cutback cleared by Corsie. 0-0 at halftime in an engaging game. Scotland just about looked the better side, but there really wasn’t much between the two teams.

Poland started the second half quickly and strongly, with Pajor sending a good effort into Alexander’s arms just ninety seconds after the kick off. Scotland did create a wonderful chance to take the lead with 51 minutes gone when Brown sent a delectable cross into the box. Kim Little almost had her head on it, but it was clawed away brilliantly by Polish keeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek only inches from her head. Scotland were finding it hard to keep hold of the ball, and Poland were granted a huge chance to capitalise. Jennifer Beattie sent a poor clearance – pretty much her only misstep in a colossal defensive performance – straight to the feet of Sikora, but she could only force a corner. In the aftermath of that corner though, German referee Riem Hussein pointed to the spot for handball against Jo Love. It looked like a harsh decision from where I as sitting, and Love was absolutely furious with the call. With the large and vocal Polish support poised, Ewa Pajor stepped up and drilled a low penalty to Alexander’s right. But the Scotland keeper got down quickly and saved the spot kick, gathering the ball at the second attempt to the delight of the home crowd.

Despite the penalty miss, it was Poland who continued to attack, and with just over an hour gone, they worked a free kick down the right wing. Sikora’s cross was met by the head of Dudek, but Alexander saved well. Ten minutes later Kamczyk was released by a wonderful pass from midfield, and her shot flew across the Scotland goal before falling just wide. Scotland had weathered the storm though, and began to find openings, mainly through Emslie on the right hand side as she continued to terrorise Dudek, but her crosses into the box couldn’t find their targets. The game swung after 75 minutes when Dudek’s night was ended prematurely. Two almost identical fouls on Emslie around ten minutes apart resulted in a pair of yellow cards. The Polish left back left the field in tears, and the player advantage ramped Scotland up.

The introductions of Zoe Ness and Erin Cuthbert gave Scotland a new found spark as well, and both substitutes had decent long range efforts well saved by Kiedrzynek as Scotland pressed. Finally, with 79 minutes gone the deadlock was broken, and Emslie unsurprisingly had a big hand in the goal. Emslie found space on the right and rushed past the Polish defence to the byeline. Her cross was met by the diving head of Ness for her first international goal. The home crowd was buoyant, and they nearly had more to cheer after 84 minutes, but a scramble from Little’s free kick saw Emslie’s shot sneak past the post.

There was however, more to celebrate, as with 87 minutes gone Emslie got the goal her performance deserved. Kim Little’s stunning cross field pass found her in acres of space on the right and the Manchester City winger cut inside the box before shooting low under Kiedrzynek to double Scotland’s lead. Emslie had a chance to score again only a minute later but blasted her shot well over the bar after finding herself in space again. Scotland still had more, though, and two minutes into stoppage time Lisa Evans’ cutbuck was collected by Cuthbert, who fought off two defenders and somehow managed to get a powerful shot away as she fell to the ground. Cuthbert very nearly scored a fourth seconds later, but Kiedrzynek held the shot and the game finished 3-0. Scotland left it late, but dug deep for an impressive win against a tough opponent. Lee Alexander was named player of the match, understandably given that her penalty save changed the course of the game, but for me Claire Emslie was the outstanding player on the pitch, involved in just about everything Scotland created.

The Pies

Tonight, Kaitlin and I decided to skip dinner before the game and instead treat ourselves to two pies each for our main meal of the day. There are no regrets. St Mirren’s steak pie is a fairly standard one, not much to write home about, but a tasty snack. Their chicken curry pie is fantastic. A bit larger than the rest of them and packed full of a surprisingly and pleasingly spicy chicken curry. It’ll definitely be my choice of pie on any return visits. Kaitlin had both vegetarian options tonight, despite not being of that persuasion. The macaroni pie got top marks, and the cheese & bean pie, one I’ve never seen at a game before, was everything she wanted it to be. A good night of pie tasting! Steak and macaroni are pictured.

Admission: £5
Programme: Free
Pie: £2.20 (Scotch) £2.60 (Steak, chicken curry, macaroni, cheese & bean)
Bovril: £1.50
Attendance: 2,121