Switzerland inflicted a fourth defeat on Northern Ireland in their final Women's World Cup qualifier as the group winners picked up a 2-1 victory at Mourneview Park.

The Swiss made the breakthrough just before the half-hour mark through Geraldine Reuteler, who then turned provider to pick out Smilla Vallotto to add a second just before the break.

Teenager Emily Cassap curled home a debut goal just minutes after coming on, but it proved to be a consolation for NI as the Swiss held on for the victory.

The win secured a return to League A for Rafel Navarro's side, while Northern Ireland finished third in the group and will remain in League B.

Both sides will now look forward to the play-offs in autumn with the draw to decide their opponents to be made on 18 June.

It was an end-to-end start in Lurgan with Danielle Maxwell spurning two early chances to open the scoring.

She stung the palms of Elvira Herzog after a nice one-two with Lauren Wade inside the opening minute before the goalkeeper then beat away her low shot after Keri Halliday had slipped in the Cliftonville winger.

Noelle Maritz twice went close for Switzerland, who eventually broke the deadlock on 29 minutes through Reuteler.

Leila Wandeler teed it up for the midfielder on the edge of the box and her cushioned finish went in off the post.

Reuteler then drove down the right-hand side and cut the ball back to the unmarked Vallotto, who tucked home their second on 41 minutes.

It was a much more low-key second half, with clear-cut chances at a premium until 19-year-old Cassap found the net after 85 minutes.

Just over a minute after her introduction, the former England Under-17 international picked the ball up from fellow substitute Mia Moore and bent an effort into the far corner beyond Herzog.

Given that the game had little jeopardy in terms of both sides' qualification hopes, it was an opportunity for the managers to assess their options. Both made five changes apiece from their previous games.

While the Swiss were not at full strength, they were still a level above Northern Ireland and exhibited why they won the group unbeaten.

They also provided a good test for Michael McArdle to assess what his side need to do to match opponents of a similar level for the play-offs, where NI will be unseeded and will face teams from League A or potentially a League B group winner.

In a 4-3-3 formation, NI were set up to attack and tried to break at pace, while defensively they pressed high and aggressively against the Swiss, as they did in their two wins against Malta last month.

Maxwell will rue her inability to take those two early chances and they ultimately proved costly, as did defensive lapses for the goals.

McArdle will be disappointed that the team switched off to allow Wandeler to find Reuteler, who was composed with the finish, and that Vallotto had time and space in the box to stroke beyond Jackie Burns.

One real bright spark for NI was Cassap's lively cameo off the bench and she will hope her debut goal will have caught the eye enough to help her be included in the autumn.

Northern Ireland kept the Swiss relatively quiet in the second half, but can ill-afford similar switch-offs in the play-offs, where they will be huge underdogs given they will have to progress through at least two rounds of two-legged games if they are to reach a first Women's World Cup.