A first half goal from Emma Watson separated the teams at halftime, but this was followed in the second half by a double each from Kirsty Howat and Lisa Martinez, to secure their place in the next round of the cup campaign.
It was a much changed starting eleven from the team that faced Hibernian last weekend, with Thomson making five changes to his squad as they hosted the North Lanarkshire side at Cumbernauld this afternoon.
Jenna Fife was given the nod to stay between the posts with Rachel McLauchlan, Hannah Davison, Lisa Martinez, and Maddie Nolf as the defensive backline in front of her.
Kirst Maclean joined the midfield again alongside Chelsea Cornet, Sam Kerr, Collette Cavanagh, and Emma Watson who supported Kirsty Howat up front.
As expected, the match began with high intensity as Rangers looked to get on the front foot early. Kirsty Howat and Chelsea Cornet linked up well to create some excellent passages of play in the first five minutes of the game.
Howat set the ball up for the midfielder on the edge of the Motherwell box, but Cornet’s effort was held by Mutch.
At the other end, Motherwell looked to counterattack into the Rangers final third. Hay advanced dangerously into the Gers' box, but McLauchlan showed impressive physicality to gain possession and redirect the danger.
Maclean was able to find some space in the middle of the park following this, to deliver a superb cross over the backline and directly to the feet of an advancing Cornet. The midfielder latched onto the cross and took a deft first touch before she whipped a dangerous looking switch to a well-placed Howat in the box, but the ball narrowly evaded the striker.
The Light Blues looked to build from this positive momentum and continued to threaten the Motherwell defensive line.
Howat collected the ball outside the opposition’s box and fired a ferocious strike towards the Motherwell goal, but it agonisingly rattled off the crossbar. However, Watson was on hand to collect the deflection and sent the ball thundering into the back of the net to give the Gers a single goal lead at halftime.
Only five minutes had elapsed in the second half before Rangers doubled their lead. McLauchlan curled in a cross from outside the Motherwell box to meet Martinez who was patiently waiting at the back post.
The defender took a first-time volley to rocket it through the arms of Mutch and into the back of the net. Thomson’s side looked hungry to add to their lead again, and their persistence was awarded just a minutes later after Howat netted the third for her side.
The versatile striker danced around the backline to find some space to get her shot away and sent it flying into the top right corner of the net.
Howat looked eager to add to her individual tally and continued to be a thorn in the Motherwell backline. Kerr made an intelligent run down the right flank and managed to pick out the unmarked striker within the oppositions box.
The midfielder switched to her teammate where she took a powerful first strike to slide it past the keeper for the fourth time of the game.
Only a few minutes had passed before Martinez followed Howat in securing her second goal of the match. The defender found the ball in a congested visitor’s box and fired a low effort goalward and over the line.
Rangers carried their intensity into the dying embers of the game as they searched for the back of the net once more. The attacking front did well to pressurise and break down the Motherwell backline, but Mutch did well to deny the Gers another goal.
RANGERS: Fife, McLauchlan (Austin, 82), Davison, Martinez, Nolf, Maclean (Jardine, 82) , Cornet, Kerr, Cavanagh (Hay, 65), Watson (McLeary, 63), Howat.
UNUSED SUBS: Esson, Docherty, Middag, McCoy, Orschmann.
MOTHERWELL: Mutch, Gardner (Crichton, 57), Rafferty, Watson, Inglis, A. Anderson, Lawton, Hay, Ronald, Boyce (Addie, 57), McDonald-Nguah (Halpin, 86).
UNUSED SUBS: Andrews, Rice, Hughes.
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