Emma Mitchell, right, is dejected at full-time

Scotland Women's World Cup hopes are now out of their own hands after Shelley Kerr's side could only beat Switzerland by just a single goal.

The Scots needed to beat the group leaders by two clear goals to control their own destiny with a game to go.

Erin Cuthbert and Kim Little fired the hosts into the lead within five minutes in Paisley only for Lara Dickenmann to hit back two minutes later.

Scotland now go to Albania on Tuesday needing to win and hope.

With automatic qualification now unlikely, the best four runners-up go up against each other for a spot in next year's tournament in France with Scotland sitting well-placed to be in the mix.

Dream starts & false dawns

It was the dream start. The exciting, attacking football Kerr has been billing during this campaign. Scotland needed the win, they needed the goals and that intent was clear with Cuthbert's early goal, the 20-year-old scoring her fourth of the campaign in the opening moments.

Little, who looked her most threatening since returning from injury for April's away leg, added a second minutes later to have a record crowd on their feet.

But the Swiss, adamant they were not giving up top spot to the Scots, responded swiftly with skipper Dickenmann clawing one back soon after.

Undeterred the hosts continued to press their rattled visitors, whose first real sign of recovery came from Chelsea's Ramona Bachmann but Jennifer Beattie was well placed to sweep it clear of the line.

Half-time brought relief as Scotland struggled to contain the awakening Swiss, a chance to regroup and offer more of the same high-tempo play that opened the match.

It was end-to-end action for much of the second half with striker Jane Ross being brought into the mix, a sign they were fighting for automatic qualification.

A free-kick from the edge of the box presented them an opportunity but Caroline Weir's 25-yard attempt was blocked.

The final 10 minutes saw more chances come to Little, as player of the match Cuthbert picked herself up from yet another rough challenge.

Another change for the Swiss was not enough to help the, equalise but did prevent the Scots getting that group winning goal.

'Campaign not over for scrappy Scots' - analysis

The fight and passion was what fans had been hoping for in this campaign. The mood music in the days building up to this game had changed - there was excitement, an air of cautious confidence and sheer determination.

The nerves that held the Scots back in earlier matches was not on show here, they more than competed with the higher-ranked Swiss.

They left the pitch looking dejected but rallied in the face of the delighted young fans who had just watched their girls win, sure that the dream of gracing the World Cup stage was still alive.

This campaign is not over for the national side by any means, and the scrappy Scots will fight to the very end. Kerr's Scotland don't know anything different.