ANNA Signeul conceded the better team won over two legs as Scotland's dream of reaching next summer's Women's World Cup in Canada ended in Rotterdam.

Lieke Martens and Manon Melis, who scored the two Dutch goals at Tynecastle on Saturday, obliged again in front of 8000 home fans.

"The difference was that Holland put their chances away and we didn't," Signeul said. "At the end of the game it didn't look as if we really, really believed we could do it.

"If you look at the overall quality, they had more of it. We have had a great campaign in terms of consistency and performance - it's just that we're not quite there yet when it comes to the big teams."

Signeul made two changes from the first leg - Caroline Weir and Emma Mitchell replacing Leanne Crichton and the injured Hayley Lauder. Holland were unchanged.

It was the 100th cap for Scotland defender Ifeoma Dieke and she was prominent in the first 15 minutes despite the side, with Kim Little playing deeper, making a more positive start than on Saturday.

Scotland's more resolute approach was epitomised by Lisa Evans, who in a few minutes dispossessed the ever-dangerous Melis near the Scotland penalty box and did the same to Anouk Dekker at the other end.

She then took a neat reverse pass from Jo Love and rounded Loes Geurts, but the offside flag went up.

Scotland got their sights on Geurts twice in the last 15 minutes of the half. Love was first up, but the Gothenburg goalkeeper easily saved her shot from the edge of the box and again thwarted the visitors when Rachel Corsie and Love put Ross behind the defence.

In the second half Signeul pushed Little forward to give Scotland more presence up front, but the Dutch tore up that script in the 51st minute.

Danielle van de Donk cut in from the right and squared to Martens, who fired a fine shot past Gemma Fay from 20 yards.

Scotland nearly got a penalty when Love went down in the box, but the push was just outside it and Little's free kick was saved on the line by Geurts.

Holland made three quick chances of their own, any of which would have put the tie beyond Scotland's reach, and 13 minutes from time the second goal finally arrived, Melis exuberantly beating Fay.