Euro dream on for Saints girls

Nov 2 2007

GOALS from Saints girls Emma Mitchell, Lisa Evans and Lauren McMurchie helped the Scotland Women’s U17 team qualify for the next stage of the first-ever UEFA Women’s U17 Championship.

Scotland’s girls played three qualifiers in the space of a week in Croatia, thrashing Northern Ireland 6-0 and hosts Croatia 4-0, before seeing off Hungary 3-1 in the decider.

The team was captained by St Johnstone GFC’s Emma Mitchell, who netted two goals over the three games, as did Emma’s club team-mate Lisa Evans. A third Saints player, Lauren McMurchie, netted once in the opening match.

Reflecting on the Hungary match which clinched qualification for Scotland, U17 coach Tony Gervaise, said: “Like us, Hungary won their first two matches so they were fired up to win the decider. However, on the day it just came down to which team wanted it more and that was definitely Scotland.”

As winners of the group, Scotland now progress to the second qualifying round in spring with a four-team final tournament taking place next May.

The Perth girls could then have a chance of taking up one of three European berths in the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand later in 2008.