Rangers motor to Scottish Cup win to ease SWPL heartache
Jo Potter's side lost the SWPL title race to Hibernian with a defeat by Hibs on the final day of the season last week but they showed their resilience at Hampden Park to retain the trophy.
Mia McAulay opened the scoring after 25 minutes before fellow attacker Kirsty Howat doubled that lead 13 minutes later and then grabbed her second five minutes after the restart.
City defender Sam Van Diemen was sent off in the 79th minute for denying substitute Camille Lafaix a goalscoring opportunity by hauling her back but the game was gone by then with the Sky Sports Cup winners assured of a cup double.
The woodwork saw plenty of action in the early stages of the game.
McAulay struck the post in the 12th minute with a drive which beat City goalkeeper Lee Gibson and five minutes later Rangers defender Kathy Hill headed a free-kick on to the bar and over.
Moments later, at the other end, City's Natalia Wrobel crashed a shot off the crossbar from the edge of the box.
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However, when 18-year-old McAulay got another opportunity outside the box on a swift counter, she drilled a shot into the far corner of the net.
McAulay provided the assist for the second goal, floating a cross into Howat who turned neatly away from Van Diemen before firing low past Gibson, who moments later prevented a third when she blocked a shot from McAulay who had broken free of the City back line.
It was a healthy interval cushion for Rangers, who lost captain Nicola Docherty to injury just after the first goal.
City were again caught with a through-ball after 50 minutes which left Chelsea Cornet able to roll the ball across goal for Howat to tap into an empty net from close range.
In the 70th minute City's Nicole Kozlova somehow missed the target with only Gers keeper Jenna Fife to beat while McAulay missed a chance for her second after being set up by Howat.
Van Diemen's dismissal, after referee Dan McFarlane was called by VAR to check his pitchside monitor after initially flashing a yellow, completed a miserable day for City, while 35-year-old striker Jane Ross came on as a late substitute for Rangers in her last game of a stellar career.
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