Goals from Jennifer Beattie, Julie Fleeting, Rachel Corsie and Suzanne Grant gave Scotland a comfortable victory over Greece in Dumbarton and set up a winner-takes-all clash against Group 3 leaders Denmark.
Scotland must win their final match in Denmark on Wednesday at Jokri Park Stadium in Vejle,
to take top spot and qualify for the play-offs for the World Cup Finals in Germany next year.
Anna Signeul’s side were dealt a blow when Fleeting limped off with an ankle knock, leaving the Arsenal striker a doubt for next week’s game.
The home side got off to a bad start, conceding a penalty inside six minutes. Goalkeeper Gemma Fay hesitated on the edge of her box, allowing Maria Adamaki to grab possession, and pulled her back as she darted towards goal. Danai-Eleni Sidira stepped up to put Greece into the lead.
Scotland quickly recovered and began to dominate all over the park. Grant and Jo Love both had chances as Scotland poured forward, and Megan Sneddon looked to have grabbed the equaliser on 20 minutes but her powerful shot was deflected onto the post.
Beattie, the goal hero when Scotland grabbed a 1-0 win in Athens on the opening day of the qualifying campaign, levelled just two minutes later. Sneddon sent in an in-swinging corner and the Arsenal defender fired in a powerful header.
Another Sneddon corner produced the second goal. This time it was Fleeting who was on hand to knock the ball in from close-range. Greece registered just one more shot on target in the first half, but Adamaki’s shot was held by Fay.
Scotland had a penalty shout waved away just before half-time when Fleeting claimed she was pulled down in the box. The half ended badly for the influential striker as she limped off at the break after making a block.
Young Celtic striker Christie Murray entered the fray as Scotland kept up the pressure in the second half. Jo Love and Kim Little were controlling the midfield as Scotland created chance after chance.
Grant and Pauline Hamill both came close, while Beattie looked determined to add to her goal tally as she pushed forward from defence, trying her luck from distance and getting her head on the ball inside the box. Little and Hamill were both flagged offside, while Murray created a couple of chances.
Arsenal midfielder Little, in a player-of-the-match performance, made space for herself on the edge of the box to set up Love, but her looping shot sailed just over the bar.
Scotland were doing everything but hitting the net, before yet another Sneddon corner set up Glasgow City defender Rachel Corsie, who rose to head the ball in on 81 minutes. Grant put the result beyond doubt two minutes later, chipping over the Greek goalkeeper from distance.
Scotland now sit just a point behind Denmark, but the group leaders' superior goal-difference means that Scotland must win to go top after the final round of fixtures on Wednesday.
Scotland: Gemma Fay, Jennifer Beattie, Ifeoma Dieke, Joanne Love, Kim Little (Rhonda Jones, 87), Megan Sneddon, Julie Fleeting (Joelle Murray, 46), Pauline Hamill, Rachel Corsie, Emma Fernon, Suzanne Grant (Leanne Ross, 90).
Unused subs - Shannon Lynn, Christie Murray, Jane Ross, Frankie Brown.
Source - scottishfa.co.uk. Photos - Lorraine Hill.
