'Excited' Andreatta says Scots can avoid relegation
Women's Nations League: Scotland v AustriaDate: 30 May Time: 19:35 BST Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Coverage: Live on BBC Alba and also watch and follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.
New head coach Melissa Andreatta is more excited by the possibilities for the Scotland's Women's team after working with the players for the first time - and believes they can preserve their top-tier Nations League status.Scotland round off a so-far miserable Nations League Group A1 campaign at home to Austria on Friday before travelling to the Netherlands four days later - with both matches live on the BBC.As they did during their first stint in League A in 2023, Scotland have struggled among the elite of the Nations League and have yet to take a point from their four matches.To have a chance of preserving their League A status via a play-off, they will need to beat Austria by two goals at Hampden.They lost 1-0 on matchday one at the Josko Arena but those are Austria's only points of their own modest campaign.When the former Australia assistant head coach was asked if she believes her new side can avoid Nations League relegation, she replied "we believe we can do that".The 46-year-old added: "'Excited' is a good word for me to use. I definitely am, but I want to be measured as well and know that it's going to take time and there's progress to be made in order to match our ambition with the belief."The first few weeks have been more than I had hoped for. I said to the players that I'm falling in love with this country and the football speaks for itself. "I only see opportunity and yes, there's going to be tough times and yes, there's a lot of progress to be made, but we believe in what we have, we believe we have what it takes and we're going to fight."Andreatta has taken over following the exit of Pedro Martinez Losa - who is now in charge of Mexican club Tigres - after Scotland's failure to reach the Euro 2025 finals.She will only have two games to work with Rachel Corsie, as the 35-year-old will retire at the end of this international window.The Australian paid tribute to the former captain's demeanour around what will be her final international camp."Rachel Corsie - what a legend," added Andreatta."It's been super humbling to to work with her in these past few days and the professionalism of Rachel is what's really stood out and her willingness to share her experiences with both players and staff."I think she's had a really positive impact on the group on her return to camp and all she's focused on is her role and what the team needs to do to play the way we want to."In Andreatta's first squad there is a first call up for Hibernian striker Kathleen McGovern, who has 25 goals for the Scottish Women's Premier League leaders, while Rangers captain Nicola Docherty and two club-mates - winger Brogan Hay and forward Kirsty Howat - have also been recalled.Scotland have failed to reach a major tournament since 2019.
'Austria call in attacking reinforcements'
Analysis - BBC Scotland commentator Thomas DuncanAndreatta will hope to take some inspiration from her Austrian counterpart Alexander Schreibl, who took charge of his first game against Scotland in February and emerged with a narrow 1-0 win. These sides have been separated by a single goal the last two times they have met with one win apiece, an illustration of how closely fought Friday's game will be. Austria have found the going tough since that opening victory, though, losing 4-1 to Germany and 3-1 home and away to the Netherlands.They took the lead in two of those three games though, and Schreibl has called in extra attacking reinforcements to try to make the difference against Scotland, who have struggled for goals for a long time now against sides who have similar or greater squad quality. Striker Nicole Billa, who has 47 goals in 106 caps, has been recalled and could start in a front two, which has been deployed behind a diamond midfield throughout the Nations League. Another forward, Eileen Campbell is also back from a hip injury.With Scotland needing a two-goal victory to give themselves a chance of staying in League A, Austria know if they use their firepower correctly it will make life very difficult for Andreatta's side.
Scotland squad
Goalkeepers: Eartha Cumings (Rosengard), Lee Gibson (Glasgow City), Sandy MacIver (Washington Spirit).Defenders: Jenna Clark (Liverpool), Rachel Corsie (unattached), Nicola Docherty (Rangers), Sophie Howard (Leicester City), Emma Lawton (Celtic), Rachel McLauchlan (Rangers), Amy Muir (Glasgow City), Kirsty Smith (unattached).Midfielders: Chelsea Cornet (Rangers), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Lauren Davidson (Brann), Freya Gregory (Newcastle United), Brogan Hay (Rangers), Kirsty MacLean (Rangers), Amy Rodgers (Bristol City), Emma Watson (Manchester United), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid).Forwards: Kirsty Howat (Rangers), Mia McAulay (Rangers), Kathleen McGovern (Hibernian), Martha Thomas (Tottenham Hotspur).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
Rye man reunited with father's World War Two documents
A man has been reunited with World War Two documents that belonged to his father after they were found in a desk 18 years after he Reid, from Lanark in Scotland, bought the desk at auction four years ago and recently discovered the folder behind a drawer that had been documents had belonged to the late Ian Rodger, from Glasgow, who served in the signal regiment and fought in Italy and Tunisia during the son Sandy Rodger said: "It's a proud and detailed account of an extraordinary endeavour, told by a young man who, with the benefit of hindsight, survived and could be said to have had a 'good war'." Mr Rodger was made aware of his father's documents, that included photographs, letters and maps, following an appeal for information made through the Church of travelled from his home in Rye in East Sussex to Edinburgh to meet Mr Reid and collect the Rodger said he had a collection of his father's old papers and letters from the war but had never seen the contents of the folder 62-year-old explained that in 2021 he cleared out his mother's flat and must have missed the documents that fell behind a desk drawer. Mr Reid bought the desk for £110 and used it regularly at his home over the years, not knowing the historic papers were hidden inside until he found them in March."Sandy is a lovely guy and very proud of his father and it was very moving seeing his reaction as he leafed through the folder and shared anecdotes," he said. Additional reporting from PA Media.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Starmer loss in Hamilton by-election could set the dominoes falling
It was a by-election in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, where the SNP made its breakthrough onto the national political stage in 1967. The party had only held one parliamentary seat before – and only for three months in the 1940s – but a 38 per cent swing away from Labour propelled Winnie Ewing to the House of Commons and gave the SNP a UK-wide platform. Next Thursday, when the area goes to the polls for a Scottish Parliament by-election, Nigel Farage is hoping to repeat the trick in reverse. With attention focused on Reform's high-profile defections and victories in the English local elections last month, Mr Farage's slow creep north of the border has been unnoticed by many in Westminster. But a poll last month found that if a Scottish election were to be held, the SNP would sweep back to power in Holyrood and Reform would emerge as the main opposition party, with 21 per cent of the popular vote. Thursday's by-election is a chance for Mr Farage's party to show it can seize hold of anti-establishment, anti-nationalist sentiment in Scotland and sell its brand of punchy opposition politics to non-traditional Reform voters. But it also represents a significant threat to Sir Keir Starmer, whose party became the largest in Scotland last year for the first time since 2010. Labour's path to a majority has historically run through Scotland, and Sir Keir's chance of winning another victory at the next general election will partly depend on his ability to keep hold of those seats. John Swinney, the SNP leader, has said that the Hamilton by-election is a 'straight race' between his party and Reform, but it is Sir Keir who has the most to lose if Mr Farage wins. Already there are Left-wing MPs, including in Scotland, who think the Prime Minister has gone too far on benefit cuts, and fear he will go further still in this autumn's Budget. At the last Scottish elections in 2021, Labour increased its vote share by 4 per cent in Hamilton and looked on course to challenge the SNP. The constituency's Westminster seat, Hamilton and Clyde Valley, is represented by Imogen Walker, who is married to Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir's chief of staff. A third-place finish in Hamilton next week would be a serious knock to the Labour leader's credibility, and could open a rift between him and Anas Sarwar, the charismatic Scottish Labour leader. In a sign of Labour's woes, Angela Rayner was forced to abandon a campaign stop on Friday because of protests. She denied 'doing a runner' after pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted 'Rayner, Rayner you can't hide, you're supporting genocide'. A group of protesters stationed themselves by what appeared to be Scottish Labour's campaign office holding Palestine and Scottish Socialist Party flags. If the Labour Left moves against Sir Keir, it is clear that two goals will emerge. The first is a change of personnel at the top – with target number one being Rachel Reeves. The 'iron chancellor' has angered the party's Left-wing grass roots with a series of spending cuts that are set to continue next month with her spending review. But what is far less clear is whom those people would accept as a replacement, given that the Cabinet is stacked with centrist Starmerites. Ms Rayner may be the only face on the current front bench who could win Sir Keir Left-wing support. More realistic, perhaps, would be a change in course on fiscal policy ahead of the Budget. The two-child benefit cap, winter fuel allowance cuts and changes to disability benefits have all led to complaints about the direction of Sir Keir's government. An about-turn on those policies, likely with a watering down of Ms Reeves's fiscal rules, would be popular with some on the Labour Left but unpopular with the markets. For now, these threats are far off, and Sir Keir's control of his party is holding. Ms Reeves's spending review is likely to pass without a major rebellion in the Commons or resignation from the Cabinet. But should Reform win on Thursday, Mr Farage may find the constituency acts once again as the first domino to fall for a challenger party. Then, the test for Downing Street will be far greater indeed.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Glasgow Warriors reaction: 'Heart got us through' as Venter and Darge are hailed
Champions to meet either Leinster or Scarlets in URC semi-finals Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... On a night when Glasgow Warriors' big players turned in big performances, Franco Smith praised the spirit of his team as they defeated the Stormers 36-18 in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals. The defending champions had to dig deep to pull away in the early part of the second half against their South African opponents in a repeat of last season's last-eight tie. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Glasgow won that one 27-10 before going on beat Munster in the semis and then the Bulls in the final. This year, they will face either Leinster or Scarlets in the last four next weekend. Glasgow Warriors' Henco Venter celebrates scoring his side's third try against the Stormers. | SNS Group 'It was knockout rugby, we expected it to be tight till the end,' said Smith, the Warriors head coach. 'That's what you prepare for, anything can happen. 'The boys showed a lot of heart tonight, especially with how we defended. That's what got us through in the end. I am so proud of their effort because Stormers put us under a lot of pressure at times.' Glasgow led 19-13 at half-time through tries from Rory Darge, Kyle Rowe and Henco Venter, with George Horne converting two of them. The Stormers countered with a try from Seabelo Senatla, the winger who had been yellow-carded in the early stages, and two penalties and a conversion from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Senatla then scored his second try early in the second half to pull the South Africans back to within a point but Feinberg-Mngomezulu couldn't land the conversion. Glasgow stepped up the pace and two tries in six minutes, from Rowe and Horne, moved them clear. Horne added a penalty to make it 36-18 and Smith praised his experienced players for Rory Darge goes through to score his Glasgow's first try. | SNS Group 'Kyle Rowe was really good, he has something a little bit different,' said the coach. 'All of the boys really played well and I feel we deserved to win. 'It's a long season. Especially when you consider the Champions Cup as well, there are so many high-level matches. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There were a lot of positive for us. Henco Venter and Rory Darge were excellent. Scott Cummings got 80 minutes under his belt, Sione Tuipulotu brought a spark for us. 'To win the competition is one thing. To stay at the top is really another thing completely. It's difficult, but we are ready for the challenge heading into the semi-finals. 'We are not getting over-excited by anything. The mission is still to go on and try to win the semi-final next weekend.'
