AT 10.23am on a Thursday postal worker Megan Sneddon would typically be popping bank statements and electricity bills through letter boxes in East Kilbride.

Fortunately for Scotland she was in Poland yesterday, delivering the pass which led to her side's breakthrough goal.

Once Jane Ross scored, the direction of a game which Poland started well would swing heavily in Scotland's favour. The Vittsjo striker scored twice more on either side of half-time to register her first international hat trick and, although the home side were reduced to 10 players by the time Jo Love added a fourth goal midway through the second half, Scotland were already assured of their fourth win in as many matches.

No matter which statistic you look at, the opening games of this 2015 World Cup qualifying campaign have been highly satisfying for the Group 4 leaders. A total of 20 goals scored and just two conceded - both when they were leading 7-0 in the Faroe Islands - is impressive even if the real test is still to come, when top seeds Sweden visit Fir Park in June.

Wojciech Basiuk, Poland's head coach, saw quite enough yesterday to consider the gap between those two nations to be narrowing quickly. For much of the first half at the picturesque Groclin Dyskobolia ground, he had cut a confident figure in the home technical area. By the time the second and third goals arrived, though, he seemed resigned to defeat.

"In my opinion the Scottish team is heading to the top level and is quite close now to Sweden," Basiuk said. "Scotland have a young side which is hungry for success and wants to do something special, whereas the Swedish team has tasted almost everything. This may be a chance for Scotland [to win the group]."

Anna Signeul, who, of course, is Swedish herself, still believes a marked gap exists, even although yesterday's scoreline compares very favourably with Poland's 2-0 defeat in Sweden last month. Yet, despite her pragmatism, the Scotland coach knows winning by four goals in Poland could be significant when the final group totals are calculated.

"It is a huge result and the scoreline has exceeded our expectations," she said. "What is pleasing is we are winning these games so comfortably. We couldn't have asked for any more: 12 points and a goal difference of 20-2."

The contribution of Ross was crucial as the Poles actually had more attempts on goal but lacked Scotland's accuracy. After Sneddon shimmied past her midfield opponent in the 23rd minute and passed to Kim Little the Scots were on their way; Little found Ross, who had plenty of time to place the ball past Katarzyna Kiedrzynek.

Ross' second, three minutes before the interval, was her best. Hayley Lauder, the Scotland left-back, sent in a cross at knee height and the striker met it first time with her right foot. A minute after half-time Ross claimed her hat trick - and sixth goal of the four World Cup qualifiers - when she latched on to Lauder's free kick and scored again, this time with her left.

A worsening morning for Poland continued when one of their best players, midfielder Ewa Pajor, was dismissed in bizarre circumstances. After receiving treatment off the pitch for cramp she returned without the permission of Italian referee Carina Vitulano and was booked. Sixty seconds later she scythed down Lauder, earning a second yellow card.

"It wasn't very clever from the girl," said Sneddon. The Rangers midfielder was one of five players in yesterday's starting XI still classified as an amateur, but six others, including Ross, are professionals. That is the direction in which this Scottish side is moving, and it promises to continue to deliver better performances and results.

The difference is epitomised by the development of Ross in Sweden, and she is now a stronger and more confident player. "I'm playing in a more central position for my club," she said after her milestone hat trick. "That has helped me, but Scotland are also creating more chances than ever before."