IN a city which boasts almost as many statues as citizens, Scotland striker Jane Ross hopes she and her team-mates will leave Macedonia standing in their Euro 2017 qualifier on Tuesday afternoon.
The 26-year-old got off the mark with two goals in Friday night's 7-0 demolition of Belarus at Fir Park. The result put Scotland back on top of Group 1 on goal difference from Iceland, who play Slovenia today.
Ross's first goal in Motherwell, just two minutes from interval, came at an important time for her side, as they had laboured to break down a Belarus side which packed every player behind the ball. The header paved the way for a scintillating second 45 minutes, in which the Scots cut loose and scored six more.
"It was definitely good to get the goal, and the lead, before half time," said Ross as the Scots acclimatised to their Skopje surroundings.
"We were patient in the first half, but at times we could have moved the ball about a bit quicker. It was obviously great to get the next goal at the start of the second half and that gave us the freedom to take it from there."
While Scotland have two wins from two games, Macedonia have just a 4-0 defeat to Iceland at tomorrow's same Skopje venue to their name. "The key is to be looking to take three points in every match," said Ross; given the gulf in class between the top two teams in the group and the other three that will be Iceland's target as well.
"Our goal first and foremost is to qualify for the finals – having been beaten in the play-offs the last two Euros we don't want to go down that route again," she said.
Being eliminated in the play-offs was also Scotland's fate ahead of this summer's World Cup in Canada. That was hard on Ross, whose 13 goals in the qualifying campaign made her the joint second goalscorer in Europe.
The 13 included three hat-tricks, two of them away from home. Her brace at Fir Park brought her total to 38 in 87 games for Scotland.
Ross has played her football in Sweden for the last three years, joining Vittsjo from Glasgow City at the end of 2012. Her contract runs out this month, leaving her a free agent and with the option of finding a new club.
"I've really enjoyed playing football in Sweden," said Ross, who used to make regular journeys from Rothesay to Paisley as a girl to play for her first club. "It's definitely a strong league and I've met great people there. I now just need to take the decision as to what I want to do next season."
Modest to a fault, Ross says that she and Kim Little never even joke about who is Scotland's top scorer. The Seattle Reign player, with 44 goals in 111 internationals, has her nose in front despite failing to add to her Slovenian hat-trick in Motherwell on Friday night.
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