Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

The Netherlands came from behind to secure a well-deserved win over Scotland and leave Michael McArdle's side bottom of Nations League Group A1 with two defeats from two.

The Dutch - ranked 10th in the world - arrived at Hampden as heavy favourites against an inexperienced Scotland side led, potentially for the last time, by interim head coach McArdle.

Scotland, who had not scored in their previous three games, threatened to rip up the form book when Emma Lawton, who made her international debut in Friday's defeat in Austria, gave them a 34th-minute lead.

But second-half goals from Lineth Beerensteyn and Chasity Grant secured the Dutch the victory that puts them second in the group, behind Germany on goal difference.

Having withstood wave after wave of Dutch attacks during which the star-studded visitors squandered an array of chances, Scotland took a shock lead.

Celtic full-back Lawton - who was playing part-time football as recently as September with Partick Thistle - picked up on Grant's poor clearance from a corner to smash home.

The stunned visitors were nearly two behind before the break when Kirsty Hanson was fed by Lauren Davidson, but the forward's shot was straight at goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar.

It felt an enormous opportunity missed and it proved to be an expensive one as Andries Jonker's Euro 2025-bound side scored a deserved equaliser through the impressive Beerensteyn.

The Wolfsburg winger glided through the Scotland defence unchallenged and levelled with a lovely outside-of-the-boot finish.

A second for the Netherlands seemed a matter of when, not if, and Grant made amends for her part in the Scotland goal 10 minutes later by swiping in Vivianne Miedema's cross from close range.

As the Dutch built on their opening 2-2 draw with Germany, the Scots remain the only side in the group without a point.

Up next is a double-header against Germany, but it remains to be seen who will lead the team, with the Scottish FA having suggested McArdle would initially only be in charge for this camp.

Improvements made by inexperienced Scots

If Scottish onlookers were offered this result pre-match, you would imagine a fair few would have taken it.

After an at times disjointed performance against Austria on Friday, there were fears the Dutch could run roughshod at Hampden.

However, while the visitors dominated proceedings, Scotland still managed to give them a fright.

The midfield was by-passed in Austria, but there was much more action for Caroline Weir and Kirsty Maclean this time. Out wide, Hanson and Davidson were utilised.

Up until Lawton's opener, Lee Gibson's goal was peppered with chances. Whether it was Miedema, Jill Roord or Esmee Burgts, it was a mystery as to how they had not converted.

For all their class, though, the Dutch were not clinical - so often Scotland's problem.

Lawton unleashed her instinctive effort with venom. On her first start, Eilidh Adams got herself about and, like on Friday, Hanson missed a gilt-edged chance.

As Scotland must know by now, it is small margins at this level. However, it was better than it has been against elite opposition for a fair while.

What they said

Scotland interim head coach Michael McArdle: "I'm proud, first and foremost. I'm not happy not winning the game.

"We set up with a gameplan to control the game without the ball. The gameplan worked well in certain aspects, but maybe in the final third we need to improve in those areas."

Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker: "I think, as expected, we had to do a lot for it.

"They defended, they worked very hard, they looked for the counter-attack. They did as we expected them to do - and did very well."

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