RANGERS lifted the Scottish Cup for the second successive campaign this afternoon as they put Glasgow City to the sword in a dominant 3-0 victory at Hampden Park.
In doing so, the side secured a cup double for the second year on the spin under the guidance of Jo Potter, reserving one of their best performances of the season for a contest which was put beyond doubt inside 49 minutes when Kirsty Howat slid home to put Rangers into an unassailable 3-0 lead.
The 28-year-old was the afternoon’s protagonist with a well-taken brace, adding to Mia McAulay’s first-half opener, on an afternoon which will live long in the memory for those of a Gers persuasion.
Potter named two changes to her side from last weekend’s final day disappointment in the SWPL, welcoming Brogan Hay and Kathy Hill back into the starting lineup.
Indeed, only six minutes had elapsed when Tessel Middag experienced a heart-in-mouth moment; her backpass towards Jenna Fife was on the shorter side and was almost intercepted by Nicole Kozlova but for the swift reactions of the Gers goalkeeper.
The effects of the Mount Florida micro-climate were in play prior to kick-off as a deluge suddenly gave way to beaming sunshine which engulfed the Hampden turf as both teams tussled in the opening exchanges.
Rangers went close for the first time in the afternoon when Hayley Lauder was all too eager to cut out a Kirsty Maclean pass into Kirsty Howat, who burst into the space vacated by the Glasgow City captain and dragged a low effort wide of the target.
The post then rattled moments later when Howat turned architect, lifting her head midway inside the City half and threading a pass through to McAulay who drove a rasping, driven effort against the upright.
If there was an early protagonist on Glasgow’s southside then it was certainly the upright of both goals. A dangerous delivery from a wide free-kick was glanced agonisingly onto the crossbar by Hill, before Leanne Ross’ side rattled the woodwork three minutes later when Kozlova curled a threatening effort against the upright herself following a patient piece of play.
However, few could contend that the Light Blues weren’t in the ascendancy as the midway marker in the first half approach, and they duly capitalised when Howat and Katie Wilkinson combined smartly in midfield and freed McAulay beyond the City defence. The teenager leveraged her searing pace, pulling the trigger early from 20 yards out and driving an unerring effort into the bottom corner and out of the reach of Lee Gibson.
It got even better for Rangers seven minutes before the interval.
Wilkinson had only Howat in the penalty area when she crossed in the direction of her strike partner. City appeared to have the situation under control when Howat collected with her back to goal, but a sumptuous change of direction from the forward wrongfooted Sam Van Diemen and, with just the goalkeeper to beat, she made no mistake in dispatching low into the bottom corner.
Ross’ charges were then indebted to Gibson between the posts less than 60 seconds later when McAulay – again – broke free of the City rearguard and bore down on the opposition goal. A smart reaction stop from the City goalkeeper kept the scoreline as it was.
And yet she was hapless to prevent Rangers from stretching their advantage and tightening their grip on the cup they lifted for the first time in the club’s history 12 months ago just minutes into the second period.
It was a smart run through the heart of the City backline from Chelsea Cornet which caused all sorts of havoc, allowing Wilkinson to slip a pass into the midfielder who laid the ball on a plate for Howat to slide home from close-range. City arms were raised aloft in the hopes of an offside flag from the far side linesman but replays showed that Cornet had timed her run to perfection.
There was a mix of disbelief and jubilation from the Rangers section at Hampden given Rangers’ superiority over an opponent who had leapfrogged Potter’s side into second place seven days ago and triumphed at Ibrox under a month ago in league action.
It was little surprise that any belief was sapped from City, although they passed up a golden opportunity to reduce the arrears 20 minutes from time when Kozlova steered wide from Brenna Lovera’s first-time pass despite having ample time and space.
McAulay then ought to have grabbed her second of the occasion when Howat raced clear on the break for the Gers, firing the ball across the face of goal for the teenager who unfortunately could not sort out her feet in the six-yard box.
City’s misery was compounded as the game approached the latter stages when Van Diemen was dismissed after hauling Camille Lafaix down as the substitute raced through on goal.
The afternoon was capped off ten minutes from time when Jane Ross was introduced for her final appearance in professional football, bidding farewell on the highest of highs with another piece of silverware to add to her collection.
The sound of referee Dan McFarlane’s full-time whistle was music to the ears of the Light Blues who could commence their celebrations. A relentless campaign ends on a fitting denouement.
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty (Rafferty, 26), Hill (Eddie, 80), Middag, Hay, Howat (Ross, 80), McAulay (Lafaix, 73), Cornet, Maclean, McLeary, Wilkinson (Hardy, 73)
Subs not used: Esson, Arnot
GLASGOW CITY: Gibson, Muir (Evans, 61), Lauder, Walsh, Lovera (Forrest, 73), Wrobel (Lockwood, 61), Gambone (Motlhalo, 73), Smit, Kozlova, Maatta (Whelan, 45), Van Diemen
Subs not used: Easdon, Warrington, Love
REFEREE: Dan McFarlane