DESPITE a last-gasp header from Julie Fleeting, their seventeenth of the match, Scotland still failed to automatically qualify for the Women's World Cup in the United States next summer.

The Scots thought they had to beat Lithuania by 17 clear goals to proceed and for the final eight minutes they were agonisingly stuck on 16.

Fleeting's late goal was still not enough, though, as last night FIFA decided that goals scored would not be a factor in qualification, meaning the Scots now have to play either Croatia or Lithuania to make it to the States.

Linda Brown was the top scorer in the match with six goals to her name, with Pauline Hamill notching up a hat trick and Debbie McWhinney going one better with four. Fleeting scored the remaining four goals.