In search of a commanding win as they looked to claw back the goal difference in the standings, the Gers produced a stunning first-half display with a brilliant Kirsty Maclean strike, followed by Brogan Hay’s effort, and a Kirsty Howat double giving them a four-goal lead at the break.
The striker added a fifth in the second half and a hat-trick on the day, before a Megan Bell penalty rounded off the scoring as the Light Blues produced an impressive victory in the capital in their final away outing of the season.
Malky Thomson named two changes from the side that ran out 3-0 winners over Partick Thistle in midweek, with captain Kathryn Hill and Brogan Hay coming in to replace Nicola Docherty and Megan Bell.
Rangers started in confident fashion as they dominated the majority of possession in the opening stages. Few clear cut opportunities were created in the opening five minutes of the contest before Sam Kerr tried her luck from the edge of the area which was comfortably claimed by Lisa Rodgers in the Hearts goal.
A clever pass from Hannah Davison almost created the opener as the Gers started settling more into the contest. The centre-back picked out Kerr with a lofted through ball as she spun in behind the Hearts defence. She picked out the arriving Rachel McLauchlan but the full-back fired her shot over the top.
Half chances continued to come as the Gers worked several openings from range through clever interchanges in the final third against a well-organised Hearts defence. Lizzie Arnot and Kirsty Maclean combined as they set up Kirsty Howat who was next to try her luck from range, but her shot drifted wide in a goalless opening 10 minutes in the capital.
A moment of individual brilliance was to separate the sides as Kirsty Maclean celebrated her new contract extension this week in style. The midfielder picked the ball up around 25 yards from goal and fired an outstanding shot that found the top left corner as she fired the Light Blues in front.
After a period of around ten minutes without any real openings, Brogan Hay was on hand to add a second for the Gers as they showed the clinical edge required to further make up the goal difference. The winger tried a shot from outside the area which slipped through the hands of Rodgers and into the back of the net as the visitors doubled their lead.
The Light Blues were continuing to threaten past the half-hour mark as they went in search of further goals on the day. Arnot did well to dig a cross to the back post looking for Brogan Hay, but she couldn’t quite reach the ball on the stretch.
Another quality strike was to follow as Kirsty Howat was next to get on the scoresheet as she fired in a tremendous third for the Gers. Picking the ball up on the turn 20 yards from goal, the striker smashed the ball past Rodgers who couldn’t react before it was past her as the away side went further ahead at the Oriam.
Three almost became four before the break and it was Kirsty Maclean who went close to applying the finishing touches on a great team move. Play involving Howat and Arnot allowed the midfielder to make the run in behind as she was found free, but she dragged her effort wide of the left post as she looked for her second of the afternoon.
The fourth was to arrive in the next phase of play, however, as Howat added her second of the day. Tessel Middag’s corner kick delivery was met by Davison whose downwards header left the striker with the easiest of tap-ins to make it four in the capital before the interval.
Malky Thomson’s side started on the front foot in the second period and got their reward as Howat added the fifth and her third of the afternoon. A ball down the left side eventually broke for the striker inside the area, making no mistake on her left side as she fired the ball past Rodgers to claim her hat-trick.
Substitute Nicola Docherty was next to drive forward from defence as she created the next opening for the Light Blues. Carrying the ball over 20 yards, she found the running Hay down the right flank. Her initial cut back broke for McLauchlan, but her outside of the foot effort sailed wide.
Hearts winger Monica Forsyth tried her luck as the hosts looked to get themselves on the scoresheet, but her ambitious effort from the right channel was safely caught by Jenna Fife who was called into action around the hour-mark.
Middag then sent in a free-kick delivery from the right wing which was met by the head of Davison, but her looping header didn’t have the required power to trouble the Hearts shot stopper who gathered.
The Gers were determined to add a sixth on the day and overtake their Glasgow rivals on goal difference. Substitute Megan Bell flashed a ball across the face of goal from the right side, but there were no takers to apply the finishing touches.
The Light Blues still had time to add to their lead late on as Megan Bell stepped up from the penalty spot, firing the ball into the bottom left corner to dispatch a sixth on the day to round off an impressive afternoon’s work in the capital ahead of their showdown with Glasgow City at Ibrox next weekend.
HEARTS: Rodgers, Hunter, Forsyth, Anderson (Davies, 63), Rennie (Sheehan, 89), McAlister, Handley, Davies (Chomczuk, 89, Connor (Fargie, 68), Cowan, Michie
SUBS: Parker-Smith
RANGERS: Fife, McLauchlan, Hill (Docherty, 45), Davison, Nolf, Middag (Cornet, 76), Maclean, Kerr, Arnot (Cavanagh, 88), Hay (Bell, 76) , Howat (Berry, 84)
SUBS: Esson, Ferguson, McLeary, McAulay
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