Match Report: Rangers 8-0 Renfrew Ladies

RANGERS marched into the fourth round of the Scottish Cup with a commanding 8-0 victory over Renfrew Ladies at Broadwood Stadium this afternoon.

There were hat-tricks apiece for Katie Wilkinson and Eilidh Austin, operating in a more advanced role, before strikes from Academy midfielder Saoirse Coyle Morrow, netting her first senior goal, and Laura Berry put the ribbons on an emphatic triumph.

Leanne Crichton named five changes to her side from the victory over Motherwell before the international hiatus, introducing Telma Ivarsdottir, Li Mengwen, Connolly-Jackson, May Cruft and Lafaix into the starting lineup.

Less than 30 seconds had elapsed when the Gers broke open the scoring. Mia McAulay’s searing pace on the left-hand side was always likely to cause the Renfrew defence problems and when she raced away and delivered low across the face of goal Austin was positioned perfectly to tap home from close range.

Renfrew could have been forgiven for allowing their heads to drop, but the visitors battened down the hatches and held Rangers at arm’s length in the opening quarter of an hour.

Katie Wilkinson was errant with a shot moments later, while Austin’s zipped delivery into the danger area evaded both the forward and Camille Lafaix by a matter of inches.

However, the scoring resumed on 19 minutes when Fallon Connolly-Jackson advanced down the left and floated a delivery deep to the far post where Austin was on hand to nod the ball beyond Niamh Miller.

Two quickly became three when Rangers cut open the visitors through the middle as Lafaix released the impressive Austin whose cut-back was stroked home by Wilkinson from six yards out.

Austin came close to adding a first-half hat-trick when she headed wide nine minutes before the interval, before Lafaix was released beyond the Renfrew backline and agonisingly lifted her finish wide of the far post.

Another opportunity for Austin was passed up on the stroke of half-time when Wilkinson released a delicious slide rule pass, but the full-back contrived to steer her finish off target.

Renfrew had been unable to muster anything of note, but they certainly went close with the final action of the opening period when Leah Eddie had to race back towards her own goal and hook the ball off the goalline.

The hosts were immediately offered the opportunity to extend their advantage to open the second period when Austin, again, found herself in-behind the hosts’ backline and was tripped in the process of pulling the trigger.

The referee agreed and duly pointed to the penalty spot, but Wilkinson, normally so reliable from 12 yards, was denied by a springing save down low from goalkeeper Kirstie Downs.

Laura Berry, introduced at the interval, almost made an immediate impact when she received a pass from Cruft, swivelled smartly, but could only lash her effort straight down the throat of the goalkeeper.

A fourth goal arrived soon, however, when McAulay shimmied dangerously inside before unleashing a ferocious effort which cannoned off the upright and fell kindly for Wilkinson to compose herself and volley into the bottom corner.

The story of the afternoon was undoubtedly Austin, who despite being moved back into her typical full-back role still found the time and space at the far post to seal a memorable hat-trick as her strike went in off the post.

That prompted another double switch as Crichton introduced the Academy duo of Coyle Morrow and Phoebe O’Donnell.

The former’s impact was instant as she stretched her side’s lead with a sublime strike from 15 yards out which flew past Goldie and marked her first Gers goal.

The floodgates – and heavens as the rain began to lash down in Cumbernauld – were proverbially open as a seventh was plundered when Berry stole possession from the goalkeeper and left Wilkinson with the simplest of tasks to stroke home for her hat-trick.

Berry then added her name to the scoreline when McAulay’s delivery from the left was met by the young forward who nodded beyond Goldie to put the exclamation point on the victory.

RANGERS: Ivarsdottir, Mengwen (Berry, 45), Pegram (Rafferty, 45), Eddie, Connolly-Jackson, McLeary (O’Donnell, 61), Cruft, Lafaix (Coyle Morrow, 61), Austin (Docherty, 76), McAulay, Wilkinson

Subs not used: Fife, Sabajo, Shin Ji

RENFREW LADIES: Miller, Gallagher, Baird, Cameron, McBlain, McCulloch, Smith, Laird, Graham, McKee, Henry

Subs: K. Downs, Bradstreet, Sawaya, Heppenstall, B. Downs, Macleod, McIndoe, Dunlop, McAlonan

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