Scotland 1-0 Slovakia: Sophie Howard header gives Scots first Euro 2025 qualifying win

Scotland got their first win in Euro 2025 qualifying as Sophie Howard's second-half header downed stubborn Slovakia.

The Leicester City defender was once again Scotland's biggest threat from set-pieces and rose highest at the back post to power in Erin Cuthbert's free-kick.

It was a much-needed intervention on the hour mark for Pedro Martinez Losa's side, who were without a win in eight competitive matches on the back of an uninspiring draw in Serbia to open their campaign.

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The victory moves Scotland second in Group B2 behind Serbia on goal difference with a double header to come against the lowest-seeded side in the group, Israel, at the end of May.

With Scotland dominating the ball against a limited Slovakia side but creating only a handful of chances, a sense of familiar dread was beginning to set in at Hampden before Howard's winner.

Fiona Brown missed two good opportunities from close range after cut backs, while Jane Ross had an early header pushed wide by the Slovakia goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, brief lapses at the other end threatened to let Slovakia find an unlikely opener.

Tamara Moravkova tested Lee Gibson just before the break, and then the visitors had a strong shout for a penalty waved away when Laura Zemberyova appeared to be caught from behind in the second half.

However, nerves eased when Cuthbert's looping free kick was guided into the net by Howard.

Rangers striker Ross should have added a second when the ball broke to her in the box and Cuthbert also lashed a fierce drive over the bar.

In the end, Scotland did not need more goals and claimed a critical win to get their campaign moving in the right direction.

Player of the match - Sophie Howard

Rachel Corsie was good in midfield, but the match-winner Howard (left) takes the award, backing up a good performance in Serbia

Scotland improve but still need more - analysis

This was a big game for Martinez Losa and his players. A run of one win in nine games and 18 months without a competitive victory has brought criticism, which the Scotland manager suggested was unfair, and even motivated by an agenda.

However, the results and performances have spoken for themselves and scoring goals has been a continuous struggle. The last time Scotland scored more than once in a competitive outing was in September 2022 against the Faroe Islands.

This performance still had some of the hallmarks of a team struggling for consistency and confidence - namely poor finishing and slow tempo. But crucially this time they got the job done in the absence of some key players.

Rachel Corsie's shift to midfield - on her 150th cap - added enough guile to get Scotland into better positions than they managed out in Serbia, and Howard again proved her worth in the box.

This was a nudge in the right direction for Scotland, who are top seeds in their section. But they will need to improve further if they want to negotiate the play-offs which come with a top-three finish, and reach the Euros in Switzerland next year.

What's next?

Scotland host Israel at Hampden on 31 May, before facing the same opposition away from home five days later.