All or nothing. This, the slogan accompanying Scotland’s Euro 2017 qualifying campaign, was far from appropriate on a night of ambiguity at the Falkirk Stadium. A night that also brought frustration, uncertainty and exacerbation that in the end threw up more questions than answers in a heavy 4-0 defeat to Iceland.

With the Scots three points clear of their opponents going into their third-last Group One game, even knowing that the six best runners-up from across the eight sections – minus results against all the group diddy teams – would automatically qualify for the Netherlands next year failed to shed much light on what a win for Anna Signeul’s women would do. It was whispered a win could be enough for the hosts but they’d not know for sure until the next round of fixtures, while pre-match the Scotland head coach spoke about a target four points from this game and their next tie away to Belarus on Tuesday to put their fate beyond doubt.

As it transpired, it wasn’t a case of all or nothing but hee haw for now as Scotland now go to Minsk aiming to recover quickly from a poor performance and an even poorer result.

“There wasn’t just one thing that went wrong ,” said Signeul, whose side slip from top on head-to-head with points and goal difference with Iceland now tied having played a game more. “I think we are all surprised at the scoreline. I don’t think it was a 4-0 scoreline.

“It shows we have a little bit to go yet.”

Within touching distance of their first major finals, Scotland started the game jittery and struggled to find a rhythm, a factor that led them to concede a soft free kick 40 yards from their own goal on nine minutes. It would prove costly as Hallbera Gudny Gisladottir’s left-foot swung in a fairly simple ball that somehow was missed by defender Ifeoma Dieke, allowed to bounce beyond everyone else and into the far corner.

Crossed balls would prove Scotland’s undoing throughout the night as a shaky defence struggled to clear their lines. While only down 1-0 at half-time, Signeul’s side shipped three goals from balls coming in from the flanks within the space of seven kamikaze second-half minutes.

On 62 minutes Iceland had two attempts to pick a pass from out wide before Elisa Vidarsdottir’s cross was looped into the net off the head of Harpa Thorsteinsdottir. Three minutes later Iceland were in again, this time Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir bulleting home a cross that had been needlessly conceded after Scotland failed to deal with a pass back. The visitors weren’t finished yet as captain Margret Lara Vidarsdottir got her country’s fourth on 69 minutes as Thorsteinsdottir’s cross was allowed to be glanced into the net.

Kim Little, the BBC world footballer of the year and Scotland midfielder, had a chance in the dying seconds to regain some pride as Anna Bjork Kristjansdottir was penalised for handball in the box, but even she could not salvage something from a grim night, her low penalty scudding off the left post and away into the night.

SCOTLAND: Fay; Smith, Dieke, Beattie, Mitchell (Lauder 46); Love, Crichton (Weir 55), Little, Corsie, Evans (L Ross 74); J Ross

UNUSED SUBS: Lynn, Ness, C Murray, J Murray

SCORERS:

BOOKINGS: L Ross

ICELAND: G Gunnarsdottir; E Vidarsdottir, Viggosdottir, Kristjansdottir, Gisladottir; Magnusdottir (Jensen 77), S Gunnarsdottir, Brynjarsdottir (Jonsdottir 46), Frioriksdottir; M Vidarsdottir (M Sigurdardottir 80), Thorsteinsdottir

UNUSED SUBS: S Sigurdardottir, Atladottir, Thorvaldsdottir, Hauksdottir,

SCORERS: Gisladottir 9, Thorsteinsdottir 62, Jonsdottir 65, VIdarsdottir 68

BOOKINGS: S Gunnarsdottir

REFEREE: Jana Adamkova

ATTENDANCE: 2690