Match Report: Rangers 7-0 Spartans

RANGERS made it two wins from two in the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League as Katie Wilkinson netted four times in a 7-0 triumph over Spartans at Broadwood Stadium this afternoon.

The forward netted an incredible hat-trick inside the first 22 minutes, with her goals supplemented in the opening period by an own goal and a fine Calliste Brookshire strike.

She then added to her tally in the second period when she tapped home from an Eva Hendle pull-back before Laura Berry got in on the act in the final quarter of an hour.

From the team which defeated Montrose on the opening day last weekend, in came Shu Ohba between the posts alongside starts for May Cruft, Jodi McLeary and Brookshire.

Rangers didn’t need to wait too long to open the scoring as Jodi McLeary was released down the left and her delivery across the face of goal was turned home by a Spartans defender.

It quickly became two when a lofted cross from Laura Berry on the opposite flank was met by Wilkinson who climbed above the goalkeeper and nodded home.

The goals continued to arrive in Cumbernauld as, just 60 seconds later, Wilkinson found herself with just the goalkeeper to beat and she clipped a delicious finish into the bottom corner.

By the 19th minute, the home side were already four goals to the good, and it was a different goalscorer on this occasion as Brookshire was on hand to smash home when McLeary’s initial header was blocked.

Two minutes later, Wilkinson secured the match ball to cap off a relentless opening period when she was released beyond the visiting byline and slotted low into the bottom corner with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Brookshire then raced her way to the byline with Rangers bodies breaking into the penalty area, but her cross was thwarted at the near post.

A fourth for Wilkinson before the half-time interval looked on the cards when the forward was fouled on the edge of the penalty area, but her curling free-kick didn’t dip in time to trouble the Spartans goalkeeper.

Eva Hendle was one of two changes at the interval for the hosts, and her clipped cross dropped into the vicinity of Wilkinson who glanced a header just off target.

The relentless waves of Gers attacks had certainly dimmed somewhat in the second period, with a long-range effort from fellow substitute Gry Boe Thrysoe sailing off target.

However, the scoring resumed just moments later as Crichton’s side pieced together a slick move to unlock the Spartans defence. Hendle was freed in-behind and she squared across goal for Wilkinson to stroke home her fourth of the afternoon.

A fifth of the game for the prolific forward almost arrived on 67 minutes when she was picked out by a delicious Nicola Docherty cross, but her header from close-range drifted agonisingly wide of the target.

The hosts could have added a seventh of the contest in the final quarter of an hour when Eilidh Austin did ever so well to dig out a low cross on the byline, but Laura Berry was denied from close-range by a smart reaction stop from the goalkeeper.

She wasn't to be denied soon after, however, as she swivelled smartly inside the penalty and smashed her finish in off the post to make it seven without reply for the home side.

RANGERS: Ohba, Collins (Docherty, 60), Boyce, Austin, Connolly-Jackson (Roelfsema, 60), Cruft, Black, McLeary (Thrysoe, 45), Brookshire (Hendle, 45), Berry, Wilkinson (Hay, 73)

Subs not used: Fife, Blake, Smith

SPARTANS: Yates, Cunningham, McCafferty, Douglas, Hurrell, Noble, Reynolds, Davies (Murchie, 45), Young (Cadell, 67), Hutchison (McMurdo, 45), Hollis (McDonald, 67)

Subs not used: Andrews, Brien