A GOAL for substitute Abi Harrison two minutes into extra time brought joy for the 10,182 fans who had turned up on a wet and windy night at Hampden. It was a record for a competitive women’s match in Scotland and the goal delivered a second round play-off game against the Republic of Ireland at Hampden on Tuesday.
Austria, who had come into the game as favourites after reaching the quarter finals of the Euros in England, are eliminated and must wait another four years for the chance to qualify for their first World Cup.
Despite saying before the match that he was comfortable about Jen Beattie not coming off the bench in Arsenal’s four games so far this season, Pedro Martinez Losa opted for Sophie Howard alongside Rachel Corsie. Born and brought up in Germany, she was with Hoffenheim for three years at the same time as Austria’s top scorer Nicole Billa.
West Ham’s Lisa Evans and Rangers’ Sam Kerr, who were both unavailable for last month’s double header against Netherlands and the Faroe Islands, returned to the side at right back and midfield. Austria were along familiar lines with Billa, who was overall joint third top scorer in group qualifying with 13 goals, leading the attack.
The visitors, who finished second to England in their qualifying group, went straight on to the attack on a foul night in Glasgow. A second corner in quick succession led to a Verena Hanshaw shot which Lee Gibson caught just under the bar.
Scotland, with Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert prominent, started to assert themselves and had two half chances as they took the game to the Austrians. A long ball from Kerr was just inches too far in front of Martha Thomas, allowing Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger to cut out the danger.
The home side came closer from a corner after 15 minutes. It was taken by Cuthbert and a headed clearance fell to Weir, who, took the ball down and sent in a lob which was held by Zinsberger.
Billa, who had seen little of the ball since her side’s opening flurry, was denied by Gibson’s alertness midway though the half, but it followed an Austrian breakaway as Scotland took a grip on the tie. They came closest to a goal when Kerr sent in a low cross from the right, but Claire Emslie’s attempt at a spectacular volley was thwarted by a good block from Laura Wienroither.
Austria left back Hanshaw, who was taking her side’s corners on the right, almost caught out the Scotland defence with an inswinging corner which was aided by the strong wind – but Howard headed the ball off the line. That was followed by another Austrian effort, with Julia Hickelsberger’s shot clipping the top of the bar near the end of the half.
Martinez Losa brought on Rosengard’s Fiona Brown for Lana Clelland at the start of the second half and the winger was involved in the move which led to Evans testing Zinsberger with another wind-assisted shot. The visitors’ goalkeeper then dropped a cross from Emslie, but gathered before Thomas could take advantage.
Left back Nicola Docherty collected the first yellow card of the night for a foul on Hickelsberger, and from the free kick it was again Hanshaw who came close to breaking the deadlock. Gibson stretched to catch the ball in the top far corner, and did just enough to prevent Austria taking advantage.
Hanshaw, who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, yet again proved to the visitors most dangerous player with a shot which went just wide of Gibson’s left hand post. At the other end Brown got her head on an Emslie cross, but her effort was wide of the target.
With both sides searching for the goal which would prevent extra time, Weir drove forward in midfield but, with Emslie and substitute Abi Harrison on either side of her, opted for a low shot which was wide of the target.
Billa’s surprisingly quiet night ended when she was substituted with seven minutes remaining, and the player who replaced her, Katja Wienroither, should have done better when she managed to find space in the Scotland box. Instead of finding the target she shot tamely wide.
Austria’s top scorer must have again watching in frustration as another chance denied to her was again squandered by the substitute. Scotland pressed hard for the winner in the four minutes of time added on, winning three corners, but they produced nothing to test Zinsberger.
The goal the game had been shouting out for arrived in the second minute of extra time. Cuthbert, who had needed treatment for a head knock late in the second half, took a corner on the left and Harrison met it with a powerful far post header to finally break the deadlock.
Scotland, with the wind at their backs literally and metaphorically, nearly added a second when Austrian captain Carina Wenninger nearly deflected Cuthbert’s shot into her own net.
