Hours after preserving England's place at the women's Euro 2013 Toni Duggan produced another rescue act when she interrupted a burglary outside the team hotel.

The England striker was unable to sleep having come off the bench to score the 93rd-minute equaliser against Russia on Monday that kept Hope Powell's team in the competition. England know a win over a strong France side on Thursday will avoid a group stage exit, after Finland and Denmark drew on Tuesday, and the drama did not end there for the Everton striker.

Duggan said: "I couldn't sleep because of the game and then I heard someone breaking into the ice-cream shop outside the hotel. We've got to know the owner very well, we've given him a ticket to the game and a few flags, so I phoned reception and they got the police. Crazy. The police were talking to us up at our windows and were there all night with their dogs. Hopefully they caught whoever did it."

The 21-year-old pressed her claims for a starting role against France with a productive 26-minute display in what was an otherwise poor night for Powell's team. "I don't think we've reached our potential yet," she said. "We'd all say that as a squad. We weren't at our best in the Spain game and in the Russia game we were poor again but it shows the character of the team to snatch the draw. I think there are some positives going into the France game. There's definitely a lot of potential in this squad. We just need to show it."

Duggan's goal was also reward for the striker's mother, Joanne, who overcame her fear of flying to travel to Sweden for the tournament. Everton's player of the year said: "My mum had never flown before. She has always been scared of flying and this was her first time to come to Sweden. Hopefully that goal has made up for it. She is here with my auntie [Jackie] and my little cousin Layla and so I blew a kiss to them when I scored."