West Ham United’s Martha Thomas enjoyed a Scotland debut to never forget on Wednesday evening, netting two goals for her side in a 3-0 win over Ukraine.
The Hammers forward scored fine finishes in each half for Shelley Kerr’s team to give the Scots a thoroughly deserved win in their opening Pinatar Cup contest.
Claire Emslie added a third for Scotland on 78 minutes to cap a clinical performance in the team's first match of 2020.
Having been called into her first squad for the March internationals – after missing out in November due to injury – Thomas was included in the starting XI for her maiden Scotland appearance on Wednesday, and immediately showed her ability and goalscoring prolificacy for her national side.
It took the 23-year-old just 23 minutes to grab her first-ever international goal, latching onto a superb through-ball with pace before rounding the Ukraine goalkeeper and slotting into the empty net to put Scotland ahead.
Caroline Weir’s sensational pass set Thomas away for her second, on 73 minutes, with the West Ham attacker coolly gliding past her defender before passing the ball under the shot-stopper, doubling her tally and Scotland's advantage.
Thomas, who joined West Ham last summer from French side Le Havre and has five goals in 13 competitive appearances for Matt Beard’s side, was substituted and deservingly applauded from the pitch six minutes from time.
The striker’s efforts saw her named the Player of the Match following the final whistle, marking a debut that Thomas will surely remember forever.
Elsewhere, West Ham United's Kenza Dali and Adriana Leon faced each other in the first round of the Tournoi de France.
Dali’s French side took on Leon’s Canada, although both West Ham players were unused substitutes as the tome team took a 1-0 win, courtesy of Viviane Asseyi’s beautiful second-half free-kick.
