Report: Hamilton Academical 0-11 Rangers

RANGERS were at their rampant best in ScottishPower Women’s Premier League action this afternoon as they produced an 11-0 victory over Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park.

A swashbuckling opening first half from the Gers saw eight goals plundered inside 45 minutes as Laura Berry’s hat-trick was supplemented by goals from Katie Wilkinson, May Cruft, Li Mengwen and a Mia McAulay brace.

Academy graduate Sophie Black then sprung from the substitutes bench to add a ninth goal after the interval, the first of her senior Gers career, before Wilkinson grabbed her second of the afternoon with a sumptuous free-kick and Calliste Brookshire netted in the dying embers to cap off the scoring.

It was a perfect afternoon for the visitors who also welcomed Brogan Hay back onto the pitch following her injury lay-off.

Leanne Crichton named five changes to her side from last weekend’s memorable Old Firm triumph in the Sky Sports Cup semi-final, while there was a notable returnee on the substitutes bench in Hay.

Rangers wasted precious little time in breaking the deadlock as they got their noses in front inside five minutes.

After Berry came close to diverting a Mia McAulay delivery goalwards moments earlier, she made no mistake when she received a pass from Camille Lafaix before knocking the ball into space and planting a thunderous finish beyond Erin Halliday.

Unbeaten since November, the Gers were in a buoyant mood as they doubled their advantage shortly after when Leah Eddie lifted a gorgeous pass over the top of the Accies defence where Wilkinson had the presence of mind to spot Halliday rushing out of her six-yard area and lift her finish over the goalkeeper.

Lafaix was then denied after Halliday palmed McAulay’s cross only as far as the midfielder, before the latter met a deep Berry cross from the right and watched her header bounce off the back of Freya MacDonald.

A Kim Shin Ji corner wreaked havoc in the Accies danger area shortly after as Wilkinson, reacting in a split-second, couldn’t quite stoop to head on target.

Two soon became three as direct wing play ruled the roost once again with McAulay’s delivery from the byline met by Mengwen at the far post who shifted the ball onto her left foot and curled beyond the diving Halliday.

The away side were in the mood from an attacking perspective and extended their lead further on the half-hour mark when Mengwen turned architect to deliver in search of McAulay on the opposite side who killed the ball stone dead with her first touch and finished under the goalkeeper.

McAulay was proving a thorn in the hosts’ side as she forced the goalkeeper into a terrific save from distance before adding a fifth for the Gers seven minutes shy of the interval when she capped off an outstanding passing move, laid through by Lafaix, to curl a finish past Halliday.

Accies could be forgiven for wishing the half-time whistle sooner as the Gers netted three more times before the interval.

Cruft got her name onto the scoresheet when the home side failed to clear their lines from a corner and the young midfielder lashed home from 20 yards out.

Possession of the match ball was then secured by the irrepressible Berry when she rose above Halliday from an enticing Fallon Connolly-Jackson delivery before firing home from a Lafaix pull-back on the stroke of half-time to seal a first-half hat-trick.

Crichton rung the changes for the second period as Calliste Brookshire, so impressive in her first few weeks at the club, shimmied inside and whipped a bending effort just inches outside of the far post.

The scoring eased in the opening stages of the second half, but fresh life was breathed back into the contest just beyond the hour-mark when Brookshire linked up with Black before the midfielder arrowed an unstoppable effort into the top corner to make it nine.

Brookshire tested her luck with 18 minutes remaining with a rasping effort in which Halliday was equal to down to her right.

Hay was introduced with just over a quarter of an hour remaining as she went close with a driving effort before double digits was reached on the scoreline when Wilkinson slammed a free-kick in off the underside of the crossbar.

There was still time for one more as the lively Brookshire got in on the act when she bundled home after a delivery from the right-hand side.

RANGERS: Fife, Mengwen, Eddie, Hill (Pegram, 58), Connolly-Jackson, Cruft, Shin Ji (Black, 45), Lafaix (Sabajo, 58), Berry (Brookshire, 45), McAulay (Hay, 74), Wilkinson

Subs not used: Kelly, Rafferty, Austin, McLeary

HAMILTON ACADEMICAL: Halliday, MacDonald, Muir (Ashmead, 45), Giard, Barclay (Reid, 59), Davie, Ritchie (Gray, 45), Cowan, Docherty (Campbell, 45), Gibb (McIntosh, 45), McStay

Subs not used: Paton, Howie, Harkins, Smith


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