Auld Enemy humble Scots as Paterson earns cap and experience

Last night (Thursday) saw Scotland's men meet England, the defending champions and number 1 seeds for a place in the semi-finals of the European Team Squash Championships in Amsterdam.

However, it was an encounter that ended in disappointment for the 8th seeded Scots who after recording a convincing 4-0 win over Belgium (16th seed) and a 3-1 result over Denmark (9th seed) went down 4-0 to an inspired English quartet.

The Scots can now only hope to set their sights on a 5th place finish.

However, the championships have seen two new Scottish caps in action. Though at the receiving end of a clinical 9-1, 9-3, 9-3 defeat to Lee Beachill of England, 23 year-old Alistair Gorrie from Aberdeenshire was only narrowly defeated in his match against Denmark.

Amsterdam too has seen 18 year-old Lyall Paterson earn his first cap and become the youngest player for over a decade to represent Scotland at a European Team Championships.

Unfortunately, it also proved to be a tough debut appearance for the Stonehaven based player, going down 9-1, 9-2, 9-2 against Joey Barrington of England.

However, as Paterson prepares to enter the senior ranks on his 19th birthday in July, he is already Europe's 11th best junior squash player and one of few Scots to have recorded a clean sweep of Scottish national titles at U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 level.

And whilst this week's European Team Championships has given the rising star further experience of competing at the highest level, the teenager has also highlighted his potential with a credible 13th place finish amongst a world-class field at last week's German Junior Open.

Now, time will tell if like his compatriots, Peter Nicol and John White, Paterson is destined to become another of Scotland's stars of the international courts.