Philippines 0-2 Scotland: Tottenham striker Martha Thomas nets double to earn final place

Scotland started their Pinatar Cup campaign with a narrow win against Philippines in challenging conditions.

Pedro Martinez Losa's side, who will face Finland in the final on Tuesday, were in full control at half-time, courtesy of Martha Thomas' double.

Erin Cuthbert's long-range shot proved troublesome for goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel in the blistering wind, but Thomas was alert to cushion in the opener and her first in a Scotland shirt since July last year.

She needn't wait nearly as long for her next, steering home Claire Emslie's perfectly-pitched cross just 13 minutes later.

Philippines emerged a little in a drab second-half, but not enough to truly test Sandy MacIver and threaten Scotland's lead in their first game of 2024.

• Reaction & as it happened

Martinez Losa was keen to stress that Scotland couldn't take their opponents lightly, just because of their 2-1 victory against them here last year.

And indeed it was Philippines, who appeared at last summer's World Cup, who had the first sight of goal.

Bayern Munich's Sam Kerr made a hash of receiving a straightforward pass on the edge of her own box and was dispossessed with ease. A quick recovery block, though, saved her blushes.

Keen to make amends, she cannoned a shot up the other end, but her attempt to weave it through a sea of red shirts failed.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Thomas couldn't have possibly missed from close-range, though, and she rose with confidence and composure to nod in her second.

Her hunt for a hat-trick ended at the interval as she was replaced by Jane Ross. The Rangers striker made her first international appearance since April 2022 after being kept out by an ACL injury.

The 34-year-old scored on her club return, but didn't really have a sniff of doing so on her Scotland return.

In fact, chances were scarce for all in dark blue after the break, only Kirsty Hanson skimmed one off the crossbar deep into the game.

Player of the match - Martha Thomas

Thomas waited seven months for her next Scotland goal, then another came 13 minutes later. She only featured in the first half, but managed to deliver the win and cause a bit of bother

What they said

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa: "Reconnecting with winning is great, and I just want to really congratulate the girls because it has been a long time since they've had that feeling.

"Not conceding any goals for us is critical. In the second half, the players can be given a lot of credit for keeping the standards, not losing their concentration with the incredible winds we had staying in the game without making a mistake."

Scotland forward Martha Thomas: "We have had a rough few games so it feels good to get back on track, a new year, fresh start, so we are buzzing with it. It feels good to get on the scoresheet as well.

"Sometime as a number 9 those are the goals that you want. You still have to be in the right place at the right time so I was happy."