New interim manager Michael McArdle could not inspire Scotland to victory in the opening game of the Nations League Group A as Lilli Purtscheller fired the Austrians to victory.
Profiting from a mix up at the back, striker Purtscheller was quickest to the ball to open the scoring for the home side with just an a quarter of an hour played.
Scotland had dominated the opening exchanges, Kirsty Hanson had an opportunity early on but couldn’t set herself before Caroline Weir took over, only able to muster a tame shot into keeper Manuela Zinsberger.
Hanson would return for a second stab almost immediately, latching onto a long ball but unable to get the better of Zinsberger but the Arsenal shot stopper did well to deny the Scotland forward one on one.
Momentum soon shifted in favour of the Austrians, Lee Gibson finding herself increasingly busy as the first half wore on, denying Purtscheller a double after the striker did well to turn Jenna Clark.
Looking to find their footing in the game, Scotland’s task was made all the more difficult by an early injury to Sophie Howard who hobbled off with substitute Leah Eddie earning her third cap.
However the visitors were inches from equalising as debutant Emma Lawton’s leaping header was saved point blank by Zinbsberger who would deny Hanson’s rebound from just a metre out.
From there McArdle’s side struggled to generate momentum and were almost caught sleeping for a double as Gibson took too long to play the ball out before Carina Brunold picked her pocket, denied only by a last ditch tackle.
In the end Austria were comfortably able to hold out for the three points as Scotland must wait until Tuesday’s home tie against the Netherlands to earn their first points.
Lack of impetus costs Scotland
Three games without a goal seems all the more baffling a statistic given the wealth of quality Scotland possess with players from Liverpool, Tottenham and Real Madrid on the park.
With over three quarters of the game left to play, the side seemed unable to stir up moments to truly trouble an Austrian side looking far too comfortable.
Lawton’s header and Hanson’s two efforts came ever so close but in truth they were rarities as the side looked to make up for defensive lapses that began creeping into Scotland’s game with worrying regularity.
Amy Muir’s poor clearance the first but Gibson, Clark and Eddie also guilty of errors that fans will not be used to seeing at club level.
However there were reasons to be optimistic for supporters.
Three debuts on the night with Eilidh Adams and Freya Gregory joining Lawton for first caps. Lawton taking to international football like a fish to water just a few months on from her transition from part-time to professional football after joining Celtic from Partick Thistle.
With a group also featuring the Netherlands and Germany, Scotland have it all to do to avoid relegation but they will be buoyed by the presence of new blood who know doubt inject life into a side trying to find its feet in the post-Pedro Martínez Losa era.
Line-ups:
Austria: Zinsberger, Hanshaw, Kirchberger, Wenger, D’Angelo, Zadrazil (Feiersinger 56), Puntigam (c), Höbinger (Brunold 79), Schasching, Purtscheller, Hickelsberger (Pinther 78) Unused subs: Billa, Brunnthaler, Brunold, Croatto, El Sherif, Georgieva, Kresche, Panther, Rukavina, Schiechtl, Wienroither
Booked: none
Goals: Purtscheller 14
Scotland: Gibson, Muir, Howard (Eddie 21), Clark, Lawton, Cornet (Adams 79), Kerr, Weir (c), Hanson, Thomas (Gregory 57), Emslie (Davidson 56) Unused subs: Adams, Clachers, Cumings Budd, MacLean, McCaulay, McLauchlan, Smith, Watson,
Booked: none
Goals: none