Walker's double rescues England

Hope Powell, the England women's coach, paid tribute to her veteran captain, Karen Walker, after the Doncaster Belles striker scored two equalisers goals at the Laugardalsvollur Stadium here to keep alive her team's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.

Walker rolled in her first goal from close range two minutes after Olga Faerseth had swept Iceland into a 42nd-minute lead. Then three minutes from time, when it seemed Erla Hendriksdottir's 56th-minute header would condemn England to defeat, Walker lofted home her 40th goal in 78 internationals to take the sides into Sunday's second leg at Birmingham City on level terms.

Powell said: "Karen was excellent – right to the end she was running around like a 20-year-old. She led by example and you could see her passion. It was probably her best game ever for England."

Without the injured Kelly Smith, Walker was carrying a heavy burden of responsibility in the England front line, but she made light of her duties on an evening when Powell's team should have been comfortable winners.

A qualifying play-off final against France would have been virtually in their grasp if they had made the most of their overwhelming first-half superiority. But chances went begging and in the second period, particularly after Hendriksdottir's goal, they had to battle to keep themselves in the tie.

ICELAND (4-4-1-1): T Helgadottir; Thorsteinsdottir, Gunnarsdottir, K Jonsdottir, Steinthorsdottir; G Jonsdottir, Gardarsdottir, M Olafsdottir, Hendriksdottir (L Olafsdottir, 90); A Helgadottir; Faerseth.

ENGLAND (4-4-2): Brown (University of Pittsburgh); Stoney (Charlton Athletic), White (Arsenal), Phillip (Fulham), Unitt (Fulham); Burke (Leeds Utd), Exley (Doncaster Belles), Britton (Leeds Utd), Yankey (Fulham); Walker (Doncaster Belles), Barr (Charlton Athletic). Substitute: Nwajei (Fulham) for Barr, 75.

Referee: K Elovirta (Finland).