RANGERS lifted the Scottish Ladies’s Cup for the primary time in historical past this afternoon as Jo Potter’s aspect ran out 2-0 winners over Hearts at Hampden Park.
In doing so, the Mild Blues accomplished the gathering of home honours up for grabs in Scotland, delivering a cup double in Potter’s maiden marketing campaign in cost.
And there are few targets extra becoming to mark the event than the strike which opened the scoring for Gers, with Rachel McLauchlan’s 35-yard thunderbolt nestling into the highest nook halfway by way of the primary half.
It was one-way site visitors all through as Rangers endeavoured to double their benefit, and it duly arrived 4 minutes from time when Lizzie Arnot swept residence from the sting of the penalty space to spark scenes of jubilation among the many Gers assist.
Certainly, it was a cagey opening in Glasgow’s southside, matched by the temper of the gray skies hanging overhead, with a scooped Nicola Docherty effort all that Rangers needed to present within the first ten minutes after the captain latched onto a Brogan Hay supply from the other flank.
Kirsty Howat then linked intelligently with Kirsty Maclean on the sting of the penalty space eight minutes later, however the 19-year-old’s effort was straight down the throat of Charlotte Parker-Smith within the Hearts purpose.
The Edinburgh aspect had provided little attacking risk within the first half, though they briefly nervous the Mild Blues when a cross from the byline compelled Vic Esson to be on her toes to gather within the six-yard space.
That proved the cue for Rangers to take agency grip of the ultimate, supercharged by the proper boot of the irrepressible McLauchlan on 23 minutes.
There didn’t seem like any fast stress on the Hearts defence when Maclean moved possession infield to McLauchlan, but area continued to open up for the Scotland worldwide who required no second invitation to let fly from 35 yards out and arrow an unstoppable effort into the highest nook.
The Gers had their tails up on account of the opening purpose, with McLauchlan discovering herself in one other promising place 5 minutes later when Hay’s intelligent dummy allowed the full-back to stride onto the ball and raise an effort off beam.
It was little shock that Hearts’ most harmful effort on the Mild Blues purpose arrived from a lifeless ball scenario, however Carly Girasoli’s glancing header from 12 yards out induced Esson no bother.
Rangers maybe must have doubled their benefit earlier than the half-time interval by way of a sequence of possibilities for Howat.
First, the 27-year-old despatched a header broad of the goal from a scrumptious cross from Docherty, earlier than she latched onto McLauchlan’s by way of move after the full-back regained possession in a sophisticated space and stabbed a end past the close to submit.
But it remained the slender purpose benefit for the Gers as they emerged for the second interval, with Hay placing the primary probability for Potter’s aspect when the ball broke kindly to the winger and he or she lifted her end over the crossbar on her weaker left aspect.
Rangers continued to monopolise possession as they went searching for the all-important second purpose which might kill the ultimate.
Certainly, Maclean practically danced her means by way of a cluster of Hearts our bodies contained in the penalty space on the hour mark, however she couldn’t fairly manufacture the area to vogue a shot earlier than Parker-Smith smothered the midfielder.
That will show to be Maclean’s final involvement as she was changed by Rachel Rowe, whereas Mia McAulay and Rio Hardy additionally entered the fray.
Hardy was performed in past the Hearts backline virtually instantly by a slide rule move from Howat, however the substitute’s preliminary contact was on the heavy aspect which allowed Parker-Smith to spring from her goalline to dive on the free ball.
Because the Edinburgh aspect dedicated extra our bodies ahead searching for the leveller, it allowed Rangers to create numerical superiority stepping into the other way.
Rowe gave the impression to be spherical Parker-Smith when the Welsh worldwide was launched in-behind, however she couldn’t fairly get the ball out in entrance of her which allowed the Hearts stopper to thwart her benefit.
The substitutes had actually livened up Rangers’ attacking endeavour, with Rowe bustling her means into the penalty space earlier than the ball ricocheted off Howat and into the grateful arms of the Hearts goalkeeper.
Eva Olid’s aspect reminded Rangers of their very own offensive risk when a seemingly innocuous floated free-kick landed on the ft of Girasoli on the right-hand byline and her flashed effort required Esson to tip across the purpose for a nook.
Nonetheless, Rangers put the icing on the cake with 4 minutes remaining when Rowe took her time to raise her head and lay a move into Arnot who guided a first-time end into the underside nook to make sure the Scottish Cup would don purple, white and blue ribbons.
RANGERS: Esson, Docherty, McLauchlan, Hill, Middag (Hardy, 59), Hay (McAulay, 59), Howat (Ewens, 86), Arnot, Cornet (Bance, 90), Maclean (Rowe, 59), McLoughlin
Subs not used: Fife, Ross, Austin, McLeary
HEARTS: Parker-Smith, Brownlie, Grant, Forsyth, Lockwood, Waldie, Adamolekun (Rennie, 59), Girasoli (Penman, 90), McGovern, E. Husband (Michie, 90), J. Husband (Mooney, 83)
Subs not used: Johnstone, Chomczuk, Fraser
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