RANGERS lifted the Sky Sports Cup for the third time in succession as a scintillating display from Jo Potter’s side put Hibernian to the sword in an emphatic 5-0 victory at Fir Park this afternoon.
In doing so, Potter lifted her third piece of silverware as Gers boss and the Light Blues could celebrate a second final success over the Edinburgh side in the last three editions of the competition.
As has become the norm this campaign, Katie Wilkinson broke the deadlock for Rangers shortly before the half-time interval as the forward capped off her incredible run of scoring in every round of the competition this term.
A blistering opening to the second period from the Light Blues effectively ended the game as a contest as a two-minute spell ushered in a Camille Lafaix strike and a Kirsten Reilly own goal.
Kirsty Howat and Rio Hardy then put the seal on the triumph inside the final seven minutes and, on the sound of the referee's whistle, the Rangers supporters stretched across the near and far side stands at Fir Park rose in appreciation of a memorable showing from their players.
The Light Blues Head Coach named the solitary change to her side from last weekend’s emphatic league triumph over Motherwell, welcoming Leah Eddie back from injury in place of Tessel Middag.
It would be fair to say that Rangers settled into the contest the faster of the two teams, looking bright through Camille Lafaix in midfield who was rewarded with her second successive start amid a purple patch in form.
Indeed, Hay was first to trouble the Hibs goal when she collected a pass and lifted an admittedly audacious effort on the half-turn over the crossbar from distance.
The meat of the action was taking place in the Hibs half of the pitch, although they offered their first moment in attack when Eilidh Adams shimmied inside and fired a tame effort straight down the throat of Jenna Fife.
Rangers threatened to break open the contest inside 20 minutes when a cross-cum-shot from Nicola Docherty wasn’t quite cleared properly by Stacey Papadopoulos at the far post and Kirsty Howat had her close-range finish denied by an outstretched Erin Clachers.
Hibs, however, were beginning to establish a foothold in the game. They had the ball in the net moments later when Michaela McAlonie played a give-and-go with Tegan Bowie on the edge of the penalty area, but the offside flag was already raised on the far side before the midfielder slotted beyond Fife.
The flag stayed down two minutes later as the Edinburgh side carved out their best opening of the contest until that point.
Papadopoulos, who very nearly presented Howat with a gift minutes earlier, was the architect as she fed a pass into Adams whose neat pass around-the-corner found Kathleen McGovern and the Hibs attacker lashed an effort just inches wide of the target.
Rangers hit the front eight minutes before the interval when their early attacking endeavour was rewarded.
The initial link-up was between Howat and Lafaix on the edge of the danger area, with the ball falling back to the former who picked out Wilkinson six yards from goal.
The forward’s first-time effort was blocked by Linzi Taylor in close proximity, but it broke back invitingly for Wilkinson to lash her volley beyond Clachers who was left flat-footed between the sticks.
It was an opportune time to break the deadlock for the Light Blues, who almost doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when a Chelsea Cornet slide challenge turned into a pinpoint through ball for Howat.
She raced through with only Clachers to beat but was denied by a smart save, before Hibs were able to clear in desperate fashion before the lurking Lizzie Arnot could turn home the rebound.
Only 60 seconds had elapsed in the second period when Rangers struck the decisive second blow of the contest.
Wilkinson, whose goals in this competition until today had all come from direct free-kicks, had her dead ball situation blocked by a strong Hibs wall, yet the Edinburgh side were napping when Brogan Hay returned the ball into a congested penalty area and Lafaix held her run long enough to volley beyond Clachers at full stretch on her unfavoured left side.
Things then got even better for Potter’s side two minutes later.
Hibs were guilty of playing themselves into trouble and when Howat latched onto a loose ball on the byline she flashed a delivery across the face of goal that captain Kirsten Reilly diverted into her own net.
Rangers were in dreamland. And the scoreline almost improved to four without reply when Hay centred for Arnot at the far post, but the linesman swiftly raised his offside flag against the far-side winger.
The belief, understandably, had been stripped from Hibs. Substitute Jodi McLeary, replacing goalscorer Lafaix, almost etched her name onto the scoresheet when Clachers spilled a Howat effort, but the Hibs goalkeeper sprung back up quickly to deny the midfielder.
Arnot and substitute Hardy both had efforts of their own to make it four for Rangers, but Hibs were able to stem the bleeding in the meantime.
However, there was still time for the Light Blues to add a fourth and fifth goal of the contest; firstly through a sumptous driven effort from Howat before Hardy raced clear in stoppage time and dispatched devastatingly beyond Clachers.
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Eddie, Hill (Rafferty, 84), Hay, Howat (Ross, 84), Arnot (McLoughlin, 68), Cornet, Lafaix (McLeary, 55), Maclean, Wilkinson (Hardy, 68)
Subs not used: Ivarsdottir, Esson, Middag, Cruft
HIBERNIAN: Clachers, Hunter (Notley, 60), Papadopoulos, Grant, McAlonie (Tweedie, 89), Adams, McGovern (Ferguson, 84), Doran-Barr (Livingstone, 60), Bowie (Morrison, 84), Taylor, Reilly
Subs not used: Schumacher, Ramsay, Taylor
REFEREE: Joel Kennedy
ATTENDANCE: 4,031