Match report by Campbell Finlayson and photo courtesy of Rangers WFC.
Rangers all but secured their place in the Quarter Final of the SWPL Cup with a comfortable win over SWPL 2 side Hamilton Academical.
A double from Lisa Martinez and Megan Bell’s neat finish helped the Glasgow side to a 3-0 win to make it two wins from two in Group B.
The Gers had all the early pressure and it paid off after just 13 minutes when Demi Vance’s in-swinging corner was flicked home by fellow centre half Martinez to give them the lead.
It was two soon after when Daina Bourma’s through ball was deflected into the path of Bell by Georgie McTear and the Northern Irish forward made no mistake as she dinked the ball past Sarah Rhind.
Bell went close to making it three with a wonderful free-kick that Rhind was forced to claw away, with Chelsea Cornet caught offside at the rebound.
The forward was causing the Accies defence all sorts of problems and almost turned provider with a great cross, but Daina Bourma and Emma Brownlie were unable to force the ball home between them. She then should have added a third when she managed to work space for herself in the box, however, she could only slice her shot wide.
Accies went straight at Rangers from the restart, with Dionne Brown forcing the defence back before finding Ellie Kane, who dragged her shot wide.
Rangers put the game beyond any doubt with just over 20 minutes remaining when Martinez rose highest to head home her second of the afternoon, with her flamboyant celebration amusing the healthy support at the Fountain of Youth Stadium.
Daina Bourma had a chance when a cross found her unmarked in the box, but her header was tame and straight at Rhind in the home goal. Nicola Docherty then shot into the side netting before Cornet fired over from distance as Rangers tried for a fourth, to no avail.
Those missed chances didn’t matter though as the Gers won their second group game in four days after Thursday’s defeat of Queen’s Park.
It’s the international break next week but Accies still find themselves in action, taking on Dundee United in their final group stage game. Rangers have also to face the Terrors in their final game, with that match still to be rearranged.
Hamilton: Rhind; Fitzsimmons, Ross (Coakley, 28), McTear, Connolly; McIntosh, Anderson, Quigley (Sturrock, 61); Kane (Molley, 77), Brown (Evans, 61), Gardiner (McCann, 77)
Rangers: Fife; Brownlie, Martinez (Girasoli, 73), Vance, Docherty (McQuillan, 83); Reilly (Gemmell, 69), Cornet, O’Neill (MacDonald, 83); Hay (Devi, 69), Bell, Bourma
Post-match interviews with Hamilton Academical WFC Head Coach, Gary Doctor, Rangers Joint Head Coach, Malky Thomson, and Rangers Defender, Lisa Martinez
