THE Scottish Thistles edged one step closer to a coveted top 10 ranking with their third win of the 2015 Netball World Cup at Sydney Olympic Park.
Scotland posted a definitive 59-27 victory over Sri Lanka and will be looking to continue that dominant form when they take on Fiji this morning.
The Thistles have already beaten Barbados 37-34 and Samoa 47-36.
Despite suffering defeats at the hands of England and Jamaica's Sunshine Girls – the no. 3 and no. 4 seeds respectively – in the preliminary rounds, the Thistles have more than showed their mettle in recent days.
Scotland are currently ranked 11th in the world. After Fiji they are set to face either Samoa or Trinidad and Tobago in the play-off match on Saturday with the winner progressing to contest ninth and 10th places. A loss on Saturday would see the Thistles contest 11th or 12th places.
Goal attack Gemma Sole, who played an instrumental role in Scotland's win over Sri Lanka with 25 shots on target, said that the team wouldn't shy away from taking on a higher seeded opponent in the final stages of the qualification rounds. The Fiji Pearls are ranked no. 7 in the world.
"We've already done that once this tournament," she said. "We beat Barbados who are ranked a couple of places above us, so we'll be confident going into that match.
"If we play our best netball we should be able to get a win. We will need to go out all guns blazing and play our best.
"Our gold medal would be ninth place," she added. "We have missed out on top eight but if we can top this pool and come out with ninth, we would be absolutely thrilled."
Captain and goal keeper Hayley Mulheron revealed that the Scottish Thistles have a secret weapon hidden up their sleeves.
"We did have bagpipes – I had them in the changing room," she said. "That's a wee secret we have. We sing Flower of Scotland in the changing room before we come out."
Mulheron also had a strong message for their Fiji opponents. "We are going out to get them," she said. "We are going out to get the win – as we do in every game."
Elsewhere, England kept their medal hopes alive and all but ended Wales' chances with a 78-33 win.
England will face South Africa tomorrow with a semi-final place at stake.
Wales, who have suffered two successive defeats in Sydney, will take on hosts and 10-time world champions Australia in their third and final group game.
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