Several different goalscorers including a Charlie Devlin hat-trick and first goals of the season for Kirsty Maclean and Jane Ross saw the Light Blues put on a show on their return to league action.
Head coach Jo Potter freshened up the side following the break and from their last outing against Hibs a fortnight ago. Jodi McLeary, Laura Rafferty, Tessel Middag, Charlie Devlin and Rio Hardy were all given the nod from the off.
The Gers got to the dream start in Cumbernauld on their return to league action. Just two minutes into the game, Devlin was set free down the left side as her cross hit Camille Lafaix before it broke to Kirsty Maclean to smash home her first goal of the season from inside the area to give Rangers an early lead.
The hosts looked to take confidence from their opener as they went in search of a second. Devlin involved again early on was in down the side as her cross met the fellow attacking midfielder in Lafaix at the near post, but she couldn’t turn her effort beyond Rowena Armitage who made the stop.
A lot of the Light Blues’ play early on was coming down the left flank. This time it was retrieved by Katie Wilkinson before fellow forward Rio Hardy picked out Devlin, but her shot was beaten away by the Montrose shot stopper.
At the other end the visitors did get in behind the Rangers defence for the first time however. Louise Brown beat the offside trap and was played in over the top, but there were no takers for the cross as Jodi McLeary was covering any danger round the back post.
A second did arrive for the Gers and it was a first goal for the club for Charlie Devlin. Hardy picked up a loose ball inside the box and picked out the midfielder who placed a curling effort on her left foot into the far corner to double the advantage and make Rangers’ early dominance count.
Hardy was next to get on the scoresheet as she pounced on an error from the Montrose goalkeeper. A cross from McLeary looked to be initially gathered before the forward reacted first to the loose ball to smash it into the empty net to make it three.
The Light Blues had another chance from a set piece as Katie Wilkinson reacted first to make it four before the break. A delivery from the left from Devlin was met by the striker inside the area as she headed it home to get herself on the scoresheet as they counted to benefit from an early impressive showing.
The Gers then had a chance to stretch their lead further from the penalty spot. A quick corner involving Devlin and Maclean saw the former brought down by Talitha Robb inside the area. Hardy stepped up from 12 yards and converted it into the bottom left corner to put clear daylight between the two sides.
There was still time in the opening 45 minutes as Kirsty Maclean produced the goal of the day with a wonder strike from range. Picking up the ball 25 plus yards from goal she tried her luck with a looping effort that went in off the crossbar to put the Gers six goals ahead going into the half time interval.
Rangers came out the blocks at the start of the second half as they looked to add to their advantage further. Hardy in search of a hat-trick, tried her luck from the edge of the area but it was pushed round the post by Armitage.
Devlin was looking to add to her opening goal for the club and she did just that to make it seven on the day. Wilkinson kept a ball alive down the right as she picked out her teammate inside the area as she dispatched it well on her left foot once again into the far corner for her second of the afternoon.
Montrose did get themselves on the scoresheet however as they punished an error from Rangers goalkeeper Jenna Fife. A ball in from the left flank from Neve Guthrie was fumbled by the shot stopper before London Pollard setup fellow substitute Holly Daniel who dispatched the ball into the empty net to give the visitors something to cheer about on the day.
It was then a Rangers substitute that was on hand to stretch their advantage further again as Jane Ross popped up with her first goal of the campaign. Sub Lizzie Arnot crossed the ball as Leah Eddie challenged the goalkeeper, it broke for the forward as she fired it home on her left foot to make it eight.
A special moment was then to arrive for Devlin having scored her first goal for the club she was on hand to claim a hat-trick. A ball across the box saw the Gers number eight unmarked in the area as she composed herself to dispatch it into the top corner to claim the match ball.
Jane Ross then made it 10 with her second of the afternoon after finishing off a clever pass from Kirsty Maclean before the away side got on the scoresheet for the second time through Georgia Carter’s header from a free kick to round off the scoring as the Light Blues now turn their attention to next week’s Sky Sports Cup quarter-final away to Motherwell on Saturday evening.
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Rafferty (Eddie 45), Middag, Devlin, Hardy (Howat 64), Lafaix (McAulay 45), Maclean, McLoughlin (Arnot 64), McLeary, Wilkinson (Ross 64)
SUBS: Esson, Hay, Bell, Austin
MONTROSE: Armitage, Carter, McLaren, Ross (Daniel 45), Guthrie (Murphy 86), Murchie (Pollard 45), Taylor, Brown (Bruce 77), Henderson, Robb (Stewart 77) Cowper
SUBS: Pratt, Creamer, Delworth, Codegoni