Rising star shines for Scotland despite defeat

Published 4 May 2010 09:00 0 Comments

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TOUGH TACKLING: Dumbarton's Lauren Pilkington, right, was one of Scotland's stand-out performers

SCOTLAND'S under-15 international school girls' squad, which featured Dumbarton's Lauren Pilkington, agonisingly missed out on retaining the annual Bob Docherty tournament.

The hosts were unbeaten going into their final game against the Republic of Ireland, following wins against fellow competitors Wales and Northern Ireland.

But a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Irish at Glasgow University's Garscube Sports Complex meant the Scots had to settle for a runners-up spot this time around, having secured the trophy in Ireland last year.

Pilkington, of Our Lady and St Patrick's High School, was part of this year's squad and played a pivotal role in the team's quest for silverware.

The youngster was on target in the Scots' first outing against Wales, grabbing the clinching second goal with a looping volley which left the Welsh keeper with no chance.

And she also played her part in the well deserved 2-1 victory over Northern Ireland, when Scotland came back from a goal behind to take all three points with goals from Rachel Halliday and Fiona Brown.

The final game against the much-fancied Republic of Ireland was a tight affair, with little in the way of clear-cut chances for either side.

However, the Irish did manage to scramble a goal early in the second half and held on for the win despite increasing pressure from the Scots in the closing stages. Caroline Weir had Scotland's best effort, an excellent dipping shot from 20 yards that came back off the post in the dying seconds.

Lisa Stephenson, head of sponsorship for Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, said: "The squad put in another fantastic performance and were very unlucky not to repeat the success of last year's win over in Ireland.

"All the players and backroom staff can be very proud of their efforts and I'm sure they will be confident of regaining the trophy when the tournament moves onto Wales next year."

This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 04 May 10

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