Dundonian Charlotte Watson collected her 100th cap (86 for Scotland and 14 for Great Britain) as the Tartan Hearts completed a three-match series against France in a very hot Marseille.
The Tartan Hearts lost 3-2 after their best performancer of three games, the first a friendly in which they lost 4-2, and the second a Test match which ended in a 4-1 reverse.
Chris Duncan, Scotland’s head coach, was disappointed to lose but praised the girls’ performance in temperatures over 30°c but, thankfully on this occasion, with a cooling wind.
He said: ” This a very good French side. The world rankings don’t quite tell the full story.”
The facts are that Scotland are No 17 in the world and France are 26 but the hosts are a team on the up and who are preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Scotland have their own am and they are preparing for the EuroHockey A Division in Germany in August.
Defiant Duncan added: “The matches (against France) are good preparation for us, and nothing really changes as we build towards the Euros.
“We’re still learning and developing (as a team), and the young players who have joined us are still gaining experience, so it’s been a worthwhile series for us to build upon.”
Scotland were on the front foot from the first whistle, taking the game to the hosts, and they had several minor scares, but the visitors were rewarded in the final minutes of the quarter when Belgian-based Heather McEwan opened the scoring following a penalty corner award, South African-born McEwan pouncing on a rebound.
France equalised mid-way through the second quarter when Scotland turned the ball over near the centre circle and Johanna Lhopital powered down the left, evading two challenges, to slot home.
And it could have been 2-1 before the break had Delfina Gaspari not lacked composure to power over the bar after picking up the ball near the centre and driving towards goal.
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
