Nicola Docherty helps Scotland get off to five-star World Cup qualifying start
Redding footballer Nicola Docherty helped Scotland get off to a perfect start in Women’s World Cup qualifying on Tuesday evening.
The Rangers captain, 33, started for the national team in Luxembourg as Melissa Andreatta’s side racked up a 5-0 win on the road in their opening Group B4 fixture. And that victory sees the Scots sit top ahead of the return visit of the minnows on Saturday at Hampden Park.
Real Madrid star Caroline Weir netted a treble - one of which was an excellent free-kick - while Jenna Clark and Kathleen McGovern also got on the scoresheet at Stade Emile Mayrisch in Esch-sur-Alzette.
Head coach Andreatta was left pleased by the professionalism of her players.
"It feels good, the start we wanted, positive from the outset,” she told BBC Scotland. "There were some areas of our game we wanted to work on, we got to do that.
"The most pleasing start is we wanted to put in a 90-minute performance and we saw that tonight, both sides of the ball. Goals in one end and stopping them at the other.
"There's learning moments as well, we're always striving to be better. We'll look at those things and work on them in training and get ready for the return match at home."
Former Central Girls ace Leah Eddie, who also plays for Rangers, was a late call-up to the squad and she was on the bench. The full-back didn’t managed to get on the pitch.
In the other match in their group, Belgium were 3-0 winners away to Israel. To reach the World Cup in Brazil next summer, Scotland must come through two rounds of qualifying. The top three teams in the group advance to the next phase.