It was a very tense affair at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre with so much at stake for both teams, each team knowing that a win would take them through to the final four.

First-half goals Danson and Susannah Townsend put England in pole position heading into the break, but Nikki Kidd pulled one back for the hosts from a penalty corner.

In the second half, roared on by a raucous home crowd, Scotland pushed hard for an equaliser with a succession of penalty corners.

But each one came to nothing, Maddie Hinch making a string of fine saves in the process as England held firm to seal their place in the knockout rounds and set up a potential semi-final with New Zealand.

Danson's Reading team-mates Kate Richardson-Walsh and Sam Quek were also in the England starting XI while Susie Gilbert came on as substitutes.

Danson said: “We are obviously delighted with the win, the game was exactly what we thought it was going to be.

"It was tight and Scotland had obviously done their homework. They won lots of corners but we are delighted, we stuck to our task and are over the moon to be building momentum for the next game.”

She added: “We are so delighted to be in the semi-finals, it’s been a big competition from day one because we had a lot to prove to ourselves.

"But for us it is all about building momentum and every time we have done that. If it is New Zealand that we are playing we will prepare hard, we know it will be a tight game again but a good showcase and hopefully a great match.”