Rangers Round Off Preseason With Win

RANGERS beat Spartans 3-1 in their final pre-season game as they prepare for the start of the 2020/21 SWPL season next weekend.

Lizzie Arnot’s first-half strike was cancelled out by a Beth McKay header early in the second-half before Chelsea Cornet and another goal from Arnot added to Rangers’ tally.

Boss Malky Thomson lined up with Jenna Fife in goal in front of her was Nicola Docherty, Demi Vance, Brianna Westrup, Emma Brownlie, Daina Bourma, Chelsea Cornet, Brogan Hay, Zoe Ness, Lizzie Arnot and captain Clare Gemmell.

Zoe Ness had a shot early in the game after Lizzie Arnot picked her out in space in the box but her effort was just wide of the target.

Spartans broke shortly after as a cross from Beth McKay met the run of Michaela McAlonie but couldn’t keep her effort down as it drifted over the bar.

Rangers continued to pressure early on as Daina Bourma turned well to play the ball out wide to Lizzie Arnot. Arnot picked out Brogan Hay in the box who managed to lay the ball off to Zoe Ness but the strikers’ shot was just wide.

Rangers pressure paid off as Lizzie Arnot opened the scoring on the 24th minute. Zoe Ness found the run of Arnot with a lovely pass and the striker made no mistake in lifting the ball over the goalkeeper.

On the 34th minute Jenna Fife was called into action for the first time as Beth McKay tried to catch out the Gers keeper with a looping effort from distance but Fife got a strong hand to tip it over the bar.

Shortly after, Zoe Ness picked out the run of Brownlie on the right and her cross into the box met the head of Brogan Hay but she couldn’t keep the effort on target.

Brownlie had an effort herself just before the break as she drove into the box and drilled a powerful effort towards goal but it was well saved by the Spartan’s goalkeeper.

Rangers almost doubled their advantage in the final stages of the first-half as Nicola Docherty’s cross met Lizzie Arnot in the box but her effort from close range was blocked well by Rachel Harrison.

Spartans were back level just four minutes into the second-half as a cross into the box from Rebecca Galbraith met the head of Beth McKay, with her effort taking a deflection beating Rangers keeper Jenna Fife.

Rangers almost responded instantly as up the other end of the pitch but Nicola Docherty’s shot was saved well by Rachel Harrison.

The goal did come for Rangers on the 58th minute as Lizzie Arnot picked out the run of Chelsea Cornet on the overlap with the midfielder drilling a low shot into the back of the net.

Rangers continued to pressure as Emma Brownlie saw an effort saved, before Lizzie Arnot and Zoe Ness combined well again in a move which saw Arnot pick out Ness in the box but she was under pressure from two Spartans defenders as the ball was diverted wide. 

Clare Gemmell had a great chance to add to the scoring as Lizzie Arnot picked out the Gers captain in the box but her shot was straight at Rachel Harrison who held the ball well.

Arnot again fired a dangerous ball into the box with 10 minutes of the game remaining, with Demi Vance and Emma Brownlie running into the area but neither could get a touch to divert the ball goalwards.

Rangers did add a third in the final stages of the game as Lizzie Arnot headed home a cross from Daina Bourma.

RANGERS:  Fife, Docherty, Bourma, Brownlie, Vance, Hay (Devi, 64), Ness, Arnot, Gemmell, Cornet, Westrup (Girasoli, 76). Subs: Cunningham, McQuillan, McDonald.