Match Report by Campbell Finlayson and photo via Rangers Women on Twitter.
After last week’s tie was abandoned at half time due to torrential rain, it was take two at the Hummel Training Centre between Rangers and Glasgow Girls in the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup. Despite the original game being a tight affair, this time the hosts were in control from the start and comfortably dispatched of their lower league visitors.
Rangers took the lead after just five minutes when Ellis Dalgliesh’s cross found Hannah Robertson and although her initial effort was blocked by Aimee Gillan, the ball fell kindly for her to fire home the rebound.
It was almost two soon after but when Chantelle Brown’s effort deflected just past Toni Harkness’ left hand post. Holly Napier was next to go close for the hosts when her low effort from the edge of the box went just wide of goal.
However, they did double their lead on 16 minutes when Brown played a neat one-two with Clare Gemmell before firing low into the corner beyond the outstretched arm of Harkness.
Glasgow’s first chance of the game on 22 minutes when a long ball down the right played in Kirstin McGuire and she squared for Chloe Docherty but she couldn’t make a good connection with her shot and Khym Ramsay managed to gather.
There was confusion as to whether or not Rangers had a third just past the half hour mark when a shot from Robertson deflected off Harkness and trundled towards the line. Gillan chased the ball back and slid in to ensure it went wide, despite the ball looking as if had went in from the stand side.
Six minutes before half time, Rangers made it three when Brown raced down the left before cutting back to Robertson who got her second of the game with an effort that deflected in via Gillan and the post.
Gemmell went close to grabbing the Gers’ fourth with her free-kick bouncing off the wet surface before being pushed behind by Harkness. There was a handball appeal from the corner but it was waved away by the referee.
Glasgow began the second half on the front foot and tested Ramsay in the home goal when the ball bounced up for Taylor Fisher to hit on the volley, but it was easily held.
Number four came straight from the ball being played out with Rangers breaking down the left where substitute Rosie McQuillan cut it back for McCartney to control and slot into the net.
Chelsie Watson came within inches of scoring for Rangers when her free-kick was pushed onto the bar by Harkness before being cleared from danger. Rangers made a double substitution on 61 minutes and one of the players that came on, Gillian Inglis, made it five when her effort from distance was dropped into the net by Harkness.
Lucy McEwan had a go from distance with just over ten minutes remaining but her effort didn’t pose Ramsay much of a problem.
The substitutes made by Gregory Vignal had already caused problems for the Girls’ defence and Hay was the next one to get on the score-sheet, cutting inside to bend a beautiful effort into the far corner.
With five minutes left to play, a long ball over the top of the Rangers defence found Docherty in an offside position but keeper’ Ramsay hadn’t noticed the flag and in her determination to get the ball, she clattered into Docherty and Hannah Coakley, leaving the Rangers defender sprawled out on the floor. While she was on the ground, the game reached the 90 minute mark and after a short discussion with her assistant, the referee brought the game to a close as the Gers reached the fourth round of the cup.
Next weekend sees Rangers travel to Station Park to take on Forfar Farmington in the next round of the cup while Glasgow Girls are in SWPL 2 action away to Dundee United.
Rangers: Ramsay; MacDonald (Inglis, 61), Coakley, Watson, Dalgliesh; O’Hara, Napier (Honeyman, 67), Gemmell; McCartney (S.Robertson, 72), H.Robertson (Hay, 61), Brown (McQuillan, 46)
Glasgow Girls: Harkness; Smith, Gillan (Hughes, 76), McTear, Gallagher (Shaw, 80); K.McGuire (MacLeod, 70), Coleman (Kerr, 46), C.McGuire, Docherty, McEwan; Fisher (Foulds, 70)
Rangers WFC Head Coach, Gregory Vignal
Glasgow Girls FC Head Coach, Iain Ferrie
