SCOTLAND'S women missed out on the chance to qualify automatically for the World Cup when they lost 2-0 to Sweden after a battling performance in Gothenburg.

But head coach Anna Signeul believes they did enough in the second half to spark hope of winning the four-team play-off they will now contest for the right to compete in Canada next summer.

A goal down after just six minutes to a header from Therese Sjogran, the Scots were second best in the first half but deserved a draw for their efforts after the break.

But their hopes were dashed when local superstar Lotta Schelin broke the Swedish goals record 15 minutes from time.

"After what I saw in the second half I'm confident we'll do well in the play-offs," Signeul said. "It just wasn't meant to be for us in terms of goals but the Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl made some great saves."

Joining Scotland in the play-offs are Netherlands, Ukraine and Italy.

That means we will be paired with either of the higher-seeded Italians or Dutch when the draw is made next week.

"I don't care which we meet first," Signeul said. "If we're going to reach the finals in Canada we'll probably have to play both of them anyway.

"I'm taking many positives from this game. Kim Little was the best player on the pitch.

"We aren't as good as Sweden yet but, after that second-half performance, we've shown we can now compete with the very best teams in the world.

"Gemma Fay had one of her best games for us and made a fantastic save in the first half.

"Our two holding midfielders, Leanne Crichton and Rachel Corsie, got better and better as the game went on. And I felt our two central defenders also handled the Swedish attackers well."

Scotland had hoped for a positive start at the Ullevi Stadium. They got the opposite.

A Swedish attack down the right saw Schelin lob the ball in for Sjogran, whose backward header looped into the net.

The home side continued to dominate the first half. Schelin had a pair of great opportunities to score before the interval.

Early in the half she rounded Fay but hit the post from an acute angle.

Just before the break she was denied by a great smothering save from the Scottish keeper when she looked certain to score.

Midfielder Little looked the most accomplished player on the pitch and she came into her own in the second period.

The US league's player of the season orchestrated attack after attack as the Scots came close to equalising several times.

They were thwarted by great saves by Landahl and a double stop on the line by Swedish captain Caroline Seger.

Crichton, Little and Jenny Beattie all came close to grabbing a goal.

But Scotland were hit by a sucker punch in the 75th minute.

Schelin shot low across Fay to confirm her place in the history books and spark loud celebrations among the crowd of 9,000.

After the final whistle the joyous home side performed a lap of honour and accepted a bouquet and good wishes from Signeul, herself a Swede.

No doubt accompanied by the message: "See you in Canada."