Fleeting forced out of World Cup qualifier with Danes

SCOTLAND'S hopes of reaching next summer's World Cup finals received a set-back last night when record scorer Julie Fleeting was forced to withdraw from the squad which meets Denmark in a Group 3 decider on Wednesday.

The Arsenal striker scored her 114th goal in 117 internationals as she helped Scotland to a 4-1 group win over Greece in Dumbarton on Saturday but was replaced at the start of the second half by Celtic's Christie Murray after injuring her ankle.

The swelling got worse overnight, forcing Fleeting onto crutches before it was decided that she would not fly out with the rest of the Scotland squad to Vejle, in Denmark, this morning.

The win over Greece took Anna Signeul's side to within a point of the Danes with only the winner-takes-all decider remaining. If Scotland win in Vejle it will set up a two-legged play-off next month against one of the other European group winners for a place in the finals.

"It's obviously a blow," admitted Signeul. "Julie played very well on Saturday and we'll miss her presence on and off the pitch, but we have great depth in the squad and I'm confident we'll do well against the Danes."

Scotland went behind to a sixth minute penalty at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium, but recovered with first-half goals from Jenny Beattie and Fleeting. The win was sealed with late counters from Rachel Corsie and Suzanne Grant.

"We will miss Julie," said fellow striker Grant, "but at least we have plenty of alternatives within the squad." One of these would be to move Arsenal defender Beattie forward to lead the attack.

Grant, who chipped the Greek goalkeeper Eleni Charalampidou for Scotland's fourth goal on Saturday, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the result. Even when we went down 1-0 early on we always had the belief we were going to win.

"The outcome of the last game against Denmark is now going to come down to who wants it most and we really want to make it into the play-offs.

"They are a good side, and have yet to lose a goal in the group, so we know it's going to be tough.

"But we were the better team in the first game at Rugby Park in June, and have beaten them in the past so we know we can do it."

With only four European teams, plus hosts Germany, guaranteed to reach next year's World Cup finals the competition for places is fierce. England are among the teams already through to the play-offs.