Senior figures in the Scottish independence campaign have dismissed claims that SNP colleagues described Alex Salmond's television performance as "a disaster".

It has been reported that unnamed senior SNP figures said that the TV debate with Better Together leader Alistair Darling "didn't go well" for the First Minister, who was said to have had "a bad night".

There were also claims that some nationalists had called for Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to replace Mr Salmond in the next debate.

But Ms Sturgeon said that this is "absolutely not" going to happen, insisting the debate had shown signs of encouraging progress - particularly among women.

Yes Scotland chairman Dennis Canavan dismissed claims that the debate had been "a disaster" for Mr Salmond but said Mr Darling "wasn't as bad as I thought he would be".

The pair launched a new billboard in Edinburgh which states that Scotland has "one opportunity to use our wealth for Scotland".

Ms Sturgeon said: "If you look at the ICM poll during the debate, what you will see is the First Minister won that debate amongst women.

"Now, how long have we been getting told that Yes needs to make up ground amongst women voters?

"The evidence from that debate is the First Minister connected with women voters, putting forward a clear, positive, compelling vision of what an independent Scotland can achieve.

"We also made progress amongst undecided voters and that poll showed an increase in Yes support compared to the last ICM poll.

"So, that looks to me like pretty encouraging and pretty solid evidence that the Yes campaign has the momentum behind it as we go into the final six weeks."

When asked if she would replace Mr Salmond in the next debate, she said: "Absolutely not. The First Minister will take on and make the case, just as powerfully as he did in the the last debate.

"The First Minister and I will continue to campaign as a team and we will both continue to campaign as part of the bigger Yes team.

"This debate is not about me, it's not about the First Minister and it's not about any individual politician.

"It's about whether we want to take power out of the hands of politicians at Westminster, that often we don't vote for, and put that power in the hands of people in Scotland so we can use our wealth as a country to transform the kind of society that we live in."

Mr Canavan said: "I wouldn't describe it as a disaster at all.

"There are indications in the immediate aftermath of the debate that some of the people that were previously undecided are moving our way.

"That really confirms what was happening even before the debate took place.

"One debate is not going to win this campaign on its own. It's not simply going to be in TV or radio studios.

"This debate is going to be won in the communities of Scotland.

"What this debate on Tuesday night did was stimulate a lot of post-debate discussion - discussion in the home, on the doorsteps, in the workplace and in the supermarkets, etc.

"We within Yes Scotland are going to be contributing to these discussions that are taking place throughout the communities of Scotland and we have every confidence that we have the momentum on our side and that we are going to see a Yes victory on September 18."

He added: "To be fair, (Mr Darling) wasn't as bad as I thought he would be. He seemed to be a bit more animated.

"But he didn't put across a positive vision for the United Kingdom."