Pedro Martinez Losa has urged the Tartan Army to back his team at Easter Road on Tuesday night as they look to make it to the European Championships this summer.
Martha Thomas scored the only goal of the game to give Martinez Losa’ side a crucial 1-0 lead in their Euro 25 first-leg play-off. Thomas fired home on the hour mark to claim her 20th goal for her country. Losa said: “It is an excellent result from us and just as important is that we kept another clean sheet. It is so important now that when we play at home on Tuesday night that the fans come out to back us.
“The only reference you have when you are away from home is your staff and your players and small pockets of supporters but at home it is totally different. It is a chance to fly and invite every Scotland support to come and to back these players. They are giving everything to be at a major tournament again.
“We are now just three steps away from achieving that and my players will leave everything on the pitch on Tuesday night. Hopefully the fans can come out and help them.”
There could have been more for Scotland – Thomas missed a glorious chance in the closing stages with Sam Kerr might also have doubled Scotland’s lead. However, Hungary will fancy themselves as capable of causing problems for Scotland at Easter Road on Tuesday night for the second leg.
The hosts threatened at times and with a bit of composure would have been on the scoresheet themselves. Indeed, the Hungarians scorned a glorious opportunity to open the scoring just a minute before Thomas had netted what became the only goal of the game.
Dora Zeller was the culprit as somehow hit an effort wide at the back post with the goal gaping. Within a minute, Scotland had rang the changes and taken the lead. Nicola Docherty’s floated cross into the box was watched all the way by Thomas.
Lilla Turanyi allowed the striker to drift from her with Thomas’ first touch taking her away from the defender before lashing it from close range into the roof of the net. For much of what had gone before Scotland had looked flat and turgid but they grew in confidence after the goal.
Sam Kerr had an opportunity to make it more comfortable for Scotland but couldn’t get her shot on target after she found herself unmarked in the box. Thomas, too, came within a whisker of adding her second when Claire Emslie delivered an inviting ball across the six-yard box but the striker just missed connecting as she slid in to meet it.
Martinez Losa added: “Play-off games present a different mental challenge. But I felt that the players were calm even in the moments that were difficult for us.
“We stuck with the game plan and we were patient. It is so important for us that we kept a clean sheet because that gives us so much confidence.
“It was a difficult night for Martha because she did not have an awful lot of space. But that is what all good strikers do – they only need one chance and it is in the back of the net.”