Melissa Andreatta begins Scotland tenure with Nations League defeat to Austria

Head coach Melissa Andreatta began her tenure as Scotland Women boss with a 1-0 defeat to Austria which confirmed relegation from the top flight of the Nations League.

The lacklustre home side were fortunate to go into the interval level at Hampden Park with goalkeeper Lee Gibson in fine form.

However, the more dominant visitors broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute of the Group A1 clash when ever-dangerous attacker Julia Hickelsberger glanced in a header from a corner.

Scotland picked up later in the second half but ended the game still bottom of the table without a point in five games and they will be playing in League B in the next Nations League campaign, albeit they still have Netherlands to visit on Tuesday for their final fixture.

The Scots knew a victory against the third-placed visitors was imperative.

Freya Gregory and Kathleen McGovern were both handed their first senior start, with the latter making her debut leading the line.

Captain Rachel Corsie, 35, who is retiring from football at the end of the game against Netherlands on Tuesday, started on the bench.

It was the more-fluid visitors who looked more likely in the opening stages and in the 10th minute, Hickelsberger came close with a low drive from inside the box which just escaped the far post.

Gibson made a great save moments later from Verena Hanshaw’s close-range effort after she worked a one-two inside the penalty area with Lilli Purtscheller.

At the other end, attacking midfielder Erin Cuthbert drew a shot wide of the target from the edge of the box after being played in by Caroline Weir.

The home side, however, could not build up a head of steam and a rather dull game continued to the 38th minute, when Gibson brilliantly stopped a shot from Austria captain Sarah Puntigam with her foot,

Then Hickelsberger’s looping effort from an Annabel Schasching cross struck the crossbar with Gibson beaten before Emma Lawton headed clear, the Scots escaping again.

Corsie replaced Jenna Clark at the start of the second half to make her 155th appearance and the Scots looked to have stepped up the tempo.

However, Austria took the lead from a standard corner from Schasching, with Hickelsberger rising highest at the near post to head in from close range, leaving Scotland with an even more difficult task.

Gibson pushed another effort from Hickelsberger round the post and then thwarted the goalscorer after she had been cleverly put through by Marie Hobinger.

Scotland pressed hard in the closing stages but missed a chance to level in the 82nd minute when Martha Thomas headed down a cross from Lawton to fellow substitute Kirsty Howat, who could not turn it into the net.

Meanwhile, Hickelsberger rounded Gibson on an Austria break but stumbled under pressure from Corsie before she could turn the ball into the net.

In an exciting finale, Howat’s long-distance shot was tipped on to the crossbar and over by goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger, but the visitors survived the corner and five minutes of added time to clinch the narrow win.