Scotland 0-6 England: Lionesses run riot however miss out on Nations League finals and an Olympic spot for Crew GB as Netherlands rating twice in stoppage-time to complete above them

England couldn’t have executed rather more. To high their Nations League group and preserve their hopes of qualifying for the Olympics on behalf of Crew GB alive, they wanted to beat Scotland by as massive a margin as attainable and hope it was sufficient.

It was not. A chaotic 4 minutes, the place England have been high, second, then high once more, led to heartbreak.

The Lionesses led Scotland 5-0 when Damaris Eggurola put the Dutch 3-0 up towards Belgium and again high of the group. 

With seconds remaining in England’s sport, Lucy Bronze headed in a sixth purpose that noticed the 2 international locations swap locations once more. 

As Sarina Wiegman’s gamers waited for the full-time rating, they acquired the information that Eggurola had scored once more – a ninety fifth minute purpose that despatched the Netherlands via. It was merciless.

‘I’m very, very disillusioned,’ mentioned a dejected Wiegman. ‘That’s the most important emotion I’ve now. I feel we delivered tonight. The staff confirmed plenty of character.

‘When Lucy scored that purpose I believed “we will get this”, however that’s soccer. The Netherlands scored a late purpose and that’s how shut it was. We have been ready, these have been lengthy minutes. 

‘We actually thought we acquired it. I really didn’t know what to say [to the players] as a result of I’m actually happy with this efficiency, however we’re not via and I’m very disillusioned.’

England didn’t lose the possibility of Olympic qualification right here. They misplaced it in Belgium, the place poor defending noticed them succumb to a 3-2 defeat. Additionally they misplaced it within the Netherlands, the place a lapse in focus noticed the Dutch earn a late 2-1 victory.

They’ll look again at this Nations League marketing campaign and marvel what may have been. 

However maybe, in the long term, a summer season of relaxation after back-to-back main tournaments is just not the worst factor for this group of gamers.

They may not have given extra at Hampden Park, the place they hit the woodwork twice, towards a hapless Scotland aspect. Alex Greenwood opened the scoring within the thirteenth minute when she headed in Beth Mead’s nook within the thirteenth minute.

James struck twice within the area of two minutes to place England 3-0 up. The primary took an enormous deflection off Nicola Docherty to wrong-foot Gibson, however there was no doubting the second – a implausible strike which sailed into the highest proper nook.

Mead then made it 4-0 earlier than half-time. James was concerned once more with a sensational lofted cross, with Mead taking one contact earlier than firing a shot into the roof of the online. 

It was Mead’s first purpose for England since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in November final yr.

The Lionesses knew there have been extra objectives for them and three minutes after half-time it was 5-0. 

Georgia Stanway drove down the best and cut-back for Kirby to tap-in from two yards out. 

Bronze then headed in a sixth with the final contact of the sport, but it surely was not sufficient.