Seconds before half-time, when Lauren Davidson stretched and missed a ball in the box, causing Pedro Martinez Losa to turn away shaking his head, it was apparent things were going to have to change.
With regular starting striker Martha Thomas out injured, the Spaniard opted to hand 22-year-old Davidson a first competitive start.
With 18 goals in all competitions this season for Glasgow City, it is not the wildest call – but what makes her tally all the more impressive is that in comes from out wide. She is not an out-and-out striker.
Someone who is, though, is Serbia’s star forward Javona Damnjanovic. The Bayern Munich ace was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch in Friday’s 0-0 draw. She came close to being the difference, but was commendably marshalled by Sophie Howard.
The goalless affair extended Scotland’s winless run in competitive matches to eight, and means they have scored just four goals in their last nine. So, it once again poses the question, where is Scotland’s firepower coming from?
The natural answer at this stage, is Jane Ross. With 62 international goals to her name, she is a pretty safe bet. But remarkably, the Rangers striker, who has so impressively worked her way back from an ACL injury this season to score eight goals in 10 league games, started on the bench.
Not that she spent much sitting down, though. For most of the first half she could been be seen warming up and doing her drills – making her best case to come on.
When she did at the restart, her frustration was evident. The 34-year-old left the crossbar shoogling with a ferocious effort, that felt at the time like a possible momentum shifter. It turned out to be anything but.
Instead, it invited an onslaught from the Serbs, spearheaded by Damnjanovic.
Her physicality, first-touch and movement are traits Scotland can only dream of in one player. If she hadn’t come up against a well-versed Howard, who had previous battles with her, it could have been a very different story.
“It’s suits my game,” Howard said post match. “That’s where I thrive.
“I’ve known Damnjanovic probably ten years now from my time in Germany and she’s a very, very good player, very physical, but I love those games.”
It can be guaranteed no Serbian centre-half was answering questions of the same ilk. Davidson’s pace was a nuisance, but her end ball was not while Ross was outmuscled in her own key moments. It was all just too easy for the home defence.
“In the end our execution let us down,” the Leicester City defender added. “We had some spells of really good football but it was the final pass that let us down.”
It’s an issue that stretches beyond the traditional number nine role, but it certainly has a huge part to play.
For Damnjanovic’s international goals tally is nothing earthshattering, but her influence, impact and involvement in her team’s play is immeasurable.
Scotland simply don’t have that figurehead at the top end of the park, but no one in and around is picking up the pieces.
Even when fit, Thomas hasn’t scored a competitive goal for Scotland since September 2022.
With just two shots on target at Stadium Dubocica in a game where the head coach assured energy and passion was displayed opens up yet more questions about how and who will fire Scotland back to a major tournament.
Source Agencies
