The hosts made a fast start and raced into a quickfire two-goal lead after two Georgia Timms’ strikes were fired past Jenna Fife with one being from the penalty spot, before Georgia Hunter’s header made it three.
Kathy Hill gave the Gers a lifeline before the break, before Mia McAulay fired in a second after the restart, but the away side couldn’t complete the fight back as they suffered the loss in the capital.
Leanne Crichton’s team were back on the pitch following the international break, as they looked to build on a positive result prior to the season halt with a convincing win over Hamilton at Ibrox in their last outing.
Hearts looked to get on the front foot from the off and make an early impression on the game. They started in a confident manner in possession, with Lauren Wade having the first effort goalwards which was comfortably watched wide by Jenna Fife in the Rangers goal.
They then got their reward for a positive start as the hosts had the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot. A promising pass forward from the captain Georgia Hunter saw Carly Johns get there first before being brought down by the goalkeeper inside the area. Georgia Timms stepped up and dispatched the ball as she wrong footed Fife to put the Jambos ahead.
Rangers looked to respond after a slow start in the capital. Fresh off international duty, Mia McAulay collected the ball in an advanced position on the left flank, she looked to switch it to fellow academy graduate Laura Berry round the back post, but the delivery was just out with the reach of the striker on the stretch before she was denied by the assistant’s flag on the near side.
It got better for the home side and after winning the penalty, Johns shortly after assisted a quickfire second. A long through ball set Timms away once again, she used her pace to burst beyond the defence and finish it impressively on her left side across Fife to double the advantage.
The Gers seemed shell shocked with the how the early part of the game had panned out in the capital. They looked to get themselves back into the match, Jodi McLeary looked to find top goalscorer Katie Wilkinson in the box, but the striker’s head flew over the top of the bar.
After a period of possession for the away side without any clear chances, the Gers had their best chance of the game on the 24th minute mark to half the deficit. Wilkinson won the ball high after Hearts hesitated. She slipped in Berry to her right, but the youngster dragged her shot across Rachel Johnstone in the Hearts goal.
It got worse for Rangers and even better for the hosts. After a foul was given against McLeary for a handball, the Jambos took full advantage of the set piece chance. Jenna Slattery sent a ball to the back post, which was met by captain Hunter whose downwards header was enough to beat Fife and make it three for Eva Olid’s side.
Timms then went close again as she was a yard the wrong side of the post away from claiming her hat-trick. McLeary was caught on the ball as the hosts looked to punish, the striker was set free in behind as she cut inside of Kathy Hill, but her saw her curling effort fly just wide.
The Light Blues got a lifeline just prior to half time as defender Hill got on the end of a McAulay cross to get her side on the scoresheet. A delivery from the young winger was dangerous as the defender got the final touch inside the area to turn it beyond Johnstone and give the away side some hope heading into the second half.
Following the restart, Rangers managed to build on that momentum as they got themselves right back into the game. After some clever play in midfield from May Cruft, she superbly picked out McAulay on the left flank, she did well to cut inside and place it into the far corner to grab a second of the afternoon for Rangers as it was game on in the capital.
Crichton’s side then thought they had levelled up proceedings via a Wilkinson free kick. On the right side of the box at an angle, her whipped effort was kept out by Johnstone, the ball flew up in the air before the goalkeeper managed to clear it away with her foot, with players close by claiming the ball had already crossed the line, but the referee waved play.
Eilidh Austin was next to test the goalkeeper as she forced her into an impressive point blank save. As the Gers really ramped up the pressure at the start of the second half in search of a leveler.
Substitute Jess Pegram produced a point blank save from Johnstone, with Rangers really upping their levels in the second half and closing in on a third goal.
Rangers pushed and pushed towards the end, with Pegram sliding one past the post from inside the area, but ultimately they left themselves with too much to do as they fell to defeat in Edinburgh.
HEARTS: Johnstone, Husband, Husband, Hunter (Ypema, 64), Shore, Timms, Wade (Forsyth, 45), Waldie, Andrews (Hutchison, 86) Johns, Slattery (Adamolekun, 63)
SUBS: Thomson, Jardine, Halliday
RANGERS: Fife (Ivarsdottir, 53), Docherty, Eddie (Connolly-Jackson, 77), Hill (Pegram, 53), Sabajo, McAulay, Austin, Berry, Cruft, McLeary, Wilkinson
SUBS: Rafferty, Lafaix
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