Pedro Martinez Losa took his players into a circle on the pitch as they celebrated the victory that puts them tantalisingly close to a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but the other side of football’s coin was evident as two of the Austrian players had to be consoled and cajoled off the pitch. Such margins are paper thin, none more so than on a night when the visitors were arguably the more menacing of the two teams.

Yet, it is Scotland’s ability to embrace the emotion within such high-stake games that has set them apart across recent months, according to captain Rachel Corsie. On Thursday evening as the clock seemed to stick twice as long on every second Martinez Losa could be seen bawling instructions from the touchline; he later revealed that he was urging his players to recall the recent friendly defeat in the Netherlands when an 89th minute goal was conceded to deny Scotland a draw.

That his daily team meetings had the players post a coloured post-it note to correspond with that moment’s emotion reaffirmed that his approach is a holistic one.

“[We are] much stronger,” said Corsie. “And that comes in a lot of different ways. You saw it on Thursday night on the pitch in large moments. With ten minutes to go I thought we managed the game so well. But aside from that I think we've got a different environment in the group as a whole – we have a different belief and there's more demands on each other not just to perform, but to have that mental toughness to encourage each other when we need it.

“That is when we need to dig something out and also when someone just needs an arm round them. There was evidence of that all through Thursday night. We haven't always found a way to produce that in the past so it was just really pleasing all round."

Scotland’s 120 minutes against Austria on a heavy pitch may could well lend itself to a leggy display against an Irish side who had the benefit of going straight into the play-off by virtue of their runners-up tally. Equally, though, it could be that it is Scotland who find they have momentum at their back.

By the time they take to the pitch on Tuesday they will at least know what lies in store. With Portugal’s game against Iceland and Wales’ meeting with Switzerland kicking off two hours earlier those results will be known; a win for either Portugal or Wales and a Scotland win would put them directly on the plane.

Scotland's Lisa Evans (L) and Caroline Weir celebrate at full time after the 1-0 win over Austria. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

If results elsewhere do not fall in Scotland’ favour but they still beat Ireland then it could be a February Inter-Continental play-off in New Zealand.

“I don't think they [Ireland] have had that much of an advantage because they obviously didn't know who they were going to face,” reflected Corsie. “We know a lot of their players which changes the dynamic I always think. You just have that bit more knowledge – but equally they'll feel the same.”

From post-it notes to big performances - Scotland Women have 'a different belief' now ahead of World Cup showdown with Ireland

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