It was a tale of two headers from the Light Blues, with a late Chelsea Cornet effort adding to Hannah Davison’s first half opener, as Malky Thomson’s side booked their place in a second cup final of the campaign on Sunday May 28where they will face either Glasgow City or Celtic.
The Gers boss named three changes to his side for this afternoon’s trip to the national stadium, with Victoria Esson, Nicola Docherty and Brogan Hay coming into the team from the midweek SWPL victory at the home of Glasgow City.
Rangers started the match where they left off from midweek, attacking with a vigour as Kirsty Howat received in-behind the Motherwell defence inside the penalty area before flashing the ball across the face of goal. Jenny Danielsson was the grateful recipient in the six-yard box, laying the ball off to Docherty whose fizzing effort narrowly evaded the lurking Howat at the far post.
The Light Blues were deriving particular joy down the right-hand side. Maddie Nolf collected a lovely switch of play and centred towards Howat on 11 minutes, with a heroic diving headed block from Joanne Addie while prone on the turf thwarting Danielsson’s resulting effort.
Territory quickly turned into authority for Thomson’s side as they broke the deadlock in Mount Florida five minutes later. A searching corner to the far post arrived at the feet of Sam Kerr, with the Gers midfielder lifting the ball back into the area for Hannah Davison to rise highest and power an unstoppable header beyond Emily Mutch in the Motherwell goal.
Danielsson was at the heart of the action just two minutes later, driving menacingly down the left before picking out Tessel Middag in the danger area. The midfielder swept the ball goalwards first-time before drawing a neat reflex stop from Mutch at her near post.
Rangers were cutting through the heart of their opponents at will, underlined by a terrific searching pass in-behind from Docherty which Howat collected and prompted a superb save from Mutch with her feet. The rebound then broke to Danielsson, but the Swede could not get the ball out from under her feet.
The clock was ticking towards the interval when the Gers had the chance to double their advantage. A neat combination on the edge of the penalty area freed Hay beyond the Well backline, although Howat could only steer the resulting cut-back wide of the far post on the stretch.
It was one-way traffic in the opening period and Rangers had a glorious opportunity to stretch their lead in first half stoppage time with a move which bore resemblance to the opening goal. Kerr once again peeled away to the far post to collect a deep corner, returning the favour by whipping a wicked delivery across the face of goal which Davison lifted over the crossbar as she stretched to connect with the ball.
Thomson reshuffled his pack before the start of the second half as Emma Watson replaced Howat for her 50th Rangers appearance, moving Danielsson into a central position where she almost made an immediate impact by connecting with a Hay cross.
Chelsea Cornet then produced a lovely pirouette to evade the Motherwell midfield moments later as she fired over the crossbar from distance, before Hay and Kerr dovetailed on the edge of the penalty area before the latter’s effort was deflected out for a corner.
The Light Blues found opportunities harder to come by in the second period, although Nolf threatened with a dangerous cross on 65 minutes that required Motherwell to clear the ball to safety.
Davison was called into defensive action moments later as Tiree Burchill advanced towards the Rangers goal for the first time in the match, shuttling across before producing a firm challenge to steal possession.
The intervention prompted a break from the Light Blues down the opposite end as Danielsson shimmied towards the byline before picking out Middag, with only the underside of the crossbar preventing the midfielder from doubling her side’s advantage.
The impressive Hay was withdrawn for Lizzie Arnot with 14 minutes remaining as Thomson’s side went in search of the second goal which would have surely confirmed their place in the final.
The substitute stood up Lauren Doran Barr on the left after neat link-up play with Jodi McLeary, but her resulting cross sailed onto the top of the Motherwell net as the match entered its dying embers.
And the Light Blues doubled their advantage with two minutes remaining to book a Hampden return next month. Middag’s perfectly floated corner was met by Cornet who diverted her header beyond Mutch from close range, bringing the Gers contingent inside the national stadium to their feet for the second time on the afternoon.
RANGERS: Esson, Nolf, Davison, Hill, Docherty, Middag (Maclean, 89), Cornet, Kerr, Hay (Arnot, 76), Danielsson (McLeary, 83), Howat (Watson, 45)
SUBS NOT USED: Fife, McLauchlan, Bell, Cavanagh, Berry
MOTHERWELL: Mutch, Addie, Anderson, Watson, Rafferty (Crichton, 76), Doran Barr, Inglis, Rice (Hughes, 76), Gardner (Hay, 58), Burchill, Boyce
SUBS NOT USED: Andrews, Lawton, Petherick, Noble
REFEREE: Colin Whyte
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