Match Report: Six Goals Against Hearts

RANGERS picked up another massively important three points in the SWPL 1 this afternoon after beating Hearts 6-0 at the Rangers Training Centre.

A double from Megan Bell and goals from Kirsty Howat, Ciara Grant, Lizzie Arnot and Brogan Hay showcased another positive and dominant performance from the Light Blues as they continue their unbeaten run in the league campaign.

It was a glorious sunny day at the training ground today as Malky Thomson made four changes to his squad that took on Aberdeen at Pittodrie midweek, with Brianna Westrup returning to the defending backline.

She joined Nicola Docherty, Demi Vance and Yanni Arnth with Jenna Fife in goals behind them.

Ciara Grant, Sam Kerr and Tessel Middag were in the midfield, and Lizzie Arnot, Megan Bell and Kirsty Howat were the attacking front three.

The squad started the game sprightly and with full intent to gain the lead early on, and it was Kirsty Howat who delivered the best possible start after hitting the back of the net for the home side with less than a minute gone on the clock.

Megan Bell made a great run down the right side before delivering a threatening cross into a congested Hearts penalty area. Parker-Smith made an initial block, but the stray ball fell dangerously to the feet of Howat who wasted no time by sending a low and powerful effort into the goal.

The home side looked hungry to build on this early momentum and they continued to threaten and dominate Hearts across all areas of the pitch, but also made important interceptions and blocks to remain defensively strong.

This dominance soon resulted in a second goal when Ciara Grant doubled the Gers’ lead in the eighth minute after great build-up play from Tessel Middag and Sam Kerr. Middag managed to pick out Kerr advancing past the backline towards the goal, Kerr then cut the ball back to Grant on the edge of the Hearts box and Grant sent the ball thundering into the top right-hand corner to net her first goal in a royal blue shirt.

Megan Bell delivered a sublime third goal for Thomson’s side on the 20-minute mark. Lizzie Arnot sent a lovely cross over the heads of the Hearts’ backline to link up with the striker edging forward. She took a deft single touch before sending a low effort across the floor and past Parker-Smith.

Bell almost made it four only a few minutes later but her effort rolled agonisingly wide of the back post.

Hearts did look eager to close the deficit before half-time and created some dangerous play in the Rangers final third, but Jenna Fife and the backline remained composed to deal with the pressure and defuse the danger.

On 38 minutes Arnth forced a fantastic save from the Hearts keeper after Demi Vance found the head of the Gers defender, but it remained three-up as the home side headed into the interval.

The Gers carried their momentum and dominance as they headed into the second half and in the opening minutes of the game re-starting, Kirsty Howat rattled the post in forewarning of what awaited spectators in the second 45 minutes.

It was Bell again who netted her second on 52 minutes to effectively put the game to bed. Lizzie Arnot took possession of the ball down the right-hand side of the Hearts final third, before delivering it into a congested box. No one was able to connect with the initial cross, but a deflection sent the ball to Bell who slotted the ball calmly away to gain her double of the afternoon.

The squad didn’t become complacent after this, and it was Arnot who delivered the fifth for the team after a superb delivery from Bell on the edge of the box. Arnot was able to get a foot on the end of the cross and sent her effort past the keeper.

The team really looked hungry to add to their lead and kept pushing into the final third, with Hearts forced to make some important interceptions and blocks to clear and minimise the danger created by the Light Blues.

Substitute Brogan Hay made an immediate impact on the pitch after coming on for Kerr on 70 minutes as she netted the sixth for Thomson’s side. She picked the ball up on the edge of the Hearts final third and danced her way into the box, she broke away from a defender to find some space and strike a low effort past Parker-Smith.

The game could have finished with a higher score after Bell’s in-swinging corner hit the crossbar in the closing minutes.

RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Arnth, Westrup, Vance, Grant (McCoy, 53), Middag (Ness, 63), Kerr (Hay, 71), Arnot (Reilly, 63), Bell, Howat (Ross, 53).

UNUSED SUBS: Cunningham, Swaby.

HEARTS: Parker-Smith, Delworth, Hunter, Browning, Tweedie, Smith, Aitchison, Cowan, Begg, McAllister, McAneny.

UNUSED SUBS: Rodgers, Kaney, Williamson, Rennie, Handley, Davies, Anderson.