WITH just two World Cup qualifiers remaining, Shelley Kerr and her players are almost exactly where they want to be in Group 2. Five wins from six and no irretrievable damage done by the 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in Schaffhausen.

The home game in August against the top seeds, at the renamed Simple Digital Arena in Paisley, now holds the key to an historic first finals for the women's team. If Kerr's side win by two, and then succeed by any margin in Albania five days later, the trip to France next summer is guaranteed.

That wasn't the way it was looking in Kielce on Tuesday with the scoreline 2-0 for Poland and only twelve minutes remaining. All credit to the Scotland players for continuing to believe, and providing such a thrilling finale, but Kerr will know there are issues which have to be addressed ahead of the Switzerland showdown.

Yet again, Scotland conceded the first goal against the Poles. They had done so in Schaffhausen and did so in both Belarus games.

They would also have been a goal down in the home game against Poland had Lee Alexander not saved Ewa Pajor's penalty.

That's a disturbing trend, and if it recurs against the Swiss it will require Kerr's side to score at least three themselves. Even worse has been the nature of these opening goals – all of them preventable and the most recent ones against Belarus and Poland being absolute gifts to the opposition.

A mightily relieved Kerr said on Tuesday evening that she couldn't believe she had been standing on the touchline watching her team trying to retrieve a two-goal deficit.

That's entirely understandable because Scotland were the better side throughout; Poland, shorn of Pajor and Paulina Dudek, and without the incentive of being able to qualify for the finals themselves, were not the force they had been in the first game between the sides.

Nevertheless, the visitors looked as if they weren't going to take advantage until a fortuitous 49th international goal for Kim Little, followed by brilliant finishes from Jane Ross and Lisa Evans, completely changed the narrative and unleashed joyous scenes.

The euphoria was entirely justified, but while much of the outfield play is good, there are important aspects to work on if this World Cup qualifying campaign is to have a similarly ecstatic outcome.

It is unfortunate, to say the least, meanwhile, that three clubs have seen fit to withdraw from today's second round of the SSE Scottish Women's Cup. Only 13 of the scheduled 16 ties will now be played.

Two of the clubs, Cove Rangers and Blackburn United, say they cannot field teams against Celtic and Dundee United respectively. The Cove decision is presumably embarrassing for Alan McRae, the club's honorary president, as he is also president of the Scottish FA.

The third club is Bishopton, who easily disposed of Stranraer in the preliminary stage and Nairn in the first round. They apparently cannot afford the cost of another long journey, this time to Aberdeen, but have also cited Father's Day as a reason for some of their players being unable to travel. Yes, really.

None of this is likely to improve the humour of Forfar Farmington and Glasgow City, or Hamilton Accies and Rangers. Two of the country's top eight sides will be knocked out today because they are playing each other, yet lesser clubs are simply not turning up for their ties.

Lorna Cameron, the interim executive officer of Scottish Women's Football, says her board will discuss the non-shows tomorrow (mon). All three defaulting clubs face being fined and banned from next year's competition.

Finally, congratulations to Amy McDonald, who has stepped up her head coach role at Rangers to become Women's and Girls' Academy manager at the club. And should Steven Gerrard require any advice, I'm assured McDonald will be only to happy to provide it.