HIT AND SWISS
SCOTLAND WOMEN’S WORLD CUP CRUNCH Early blitz seals crucial win but Scots fail to grab top spot by just one goal SCOTLAND ....... 2 SWITZERLAND.1 Hendry exit has left Big Eck in sweat
CAROLINE WEIR helped Scotland draw level with top seeds Switzerland and vowed they’ll keep pushing for a World Cup spot.
The home side came flying out the traps and goals from Erin Cuthbert and Kim Little looked like sending them top of Group Two on their own.
But Lara Dickenmann pulled one back 60 seconds later – all three goals coming in the opening seven minutes – leaving the Scots still trailing the Swiss in the table.
Both sides have 18 points with the pair playing their final games on Tuesday.
Scotland are in Albania while the Swiss, whose first defeat came in this game, are away to Poland.
Only the group winners will go to next summer’s finals in France. And although Scotland are behind in goal difference they have the likely easier game.
Manchester City ace Weir still believes and said: “It’s all to play for on Tuesday.
“We could have done with another goal to take control of the group but that’s the way football is. We’ll need to go to Albania and score as many as possible and see what happens.”
In front of 4098 – a record crowd for a Scots women clash – the hosts took the lead in two minutes when Little fed Cuthbert to fire home.
Little’s deflected shot made it two before Swiss skipper Dickenmann pulled one back.
The Scots deserved a third with the number of chances created but settled for 2-1. SCOTLAND boss Alex McLeish was dealt another blow as Jack Hendry pulled out of his squad to face Belgium and Albania.
The stopper withdrew after missing Celtic’s last two matches with an ankle problem.
It was the second exit in 24 hours after Fulham’s Tom Cairney pulled out.
Christophe Berra and Scott McKenna miss out with hamstring injuries with Charlie Mulgrew and John Souttar now the only centre-backs in the squad.
Grant Hanley, who has been a regular for Norwich, could replace Hendry.