After a couple of weeks off due to the international break, Hibernian Women returned to action in the Park’s Motor Group SWPL 1, taking on league leaders Rangers in Auchenhowie.
Rangers had the brighter start in the match, with a through ball from midfield putting Demi Vance clean through on Emily Mutch’s goal in the second minute. However, the Rangers number three missed the target entirely, skewing her shot wide of the post.
Hibs were not only facing Rangers in the first half, but a strong wind as well, with any attempt to play a long ball proving futile due to the wind holding the ball in the air. This almost caught the away side out on one occasion, as an attempted long ball forward dropped to Rangers instead, with Lizzie Arnot breezing past Jenna Penman into the Hibs box. Shannon McGregor was on hand to defend though, cutting out Arnot’s cutback for Sam Kerr and clearing her lines.
Rangers had a good opportunity to test Mutch from a free kick on the edge of the Hibs box in the 24th minute. The home side performed a routine straight from the training ground, with Tessel Middag playing it short to Vance, but her attempted delivery curled up and out for a goal kick.
Rangers were beginning to pass the ball around nicely as the game ticked towards the 30-minute mark, and Brogan Hay received the ball on the right-hand side of the box, cutting in to shape an effort at goal. Captain Ellis Notley came across in the nick of time with a strong challenge to prevent Hay’s effort and Mutch was down quickly to gather the resulting snapshot.
Hibs survived another scare in the 39th minute, as Nicola Docherty dispossessed Alexa Coyle high up the right flank. The full back swung a lovely cross into the box with Arnot as the target, but Penman did very well to get her head in the way and put it behind for a corner.
That corner produced the best chance of the first half. After the initial delivery, the ball bobbled from player to player before falling at the feet of Kirsty Howat. Only a couple of yards from goal, Howat had the perfect chance to open the scoring, but Mutch flew across to smother the powerful effort.
The last chance of the half fell in additional time, as Notley fired out for a Rangers corner. The delivery was swung to the back post, where Brianna Westrup met it well, but could only head into the side netting.
That missed opportunity brought the half to a close. Rangers had seen most of the ball and drawn Mutch into a great save but on the whole, Hibs were coping very well, with their midfield industrious and fluid in both their attacking and defensive duties.
Rangers came out in the second half with the intention of dominating the remainder of the match, and they got off to the perfect start. In the 49th minute, Kirsten Reilly turned into space, before squaring it to Howat. The number 21 took aim from the edge of the box and, via a deflection off of Leah Eddie, her strike beat Mutch and nestled into the bottom right corner.
Rangers went centimetres away from adding to their lead in the 55th minute. A powerful effort from distance, struck by Docherty, had Mutch beaten, but the strike cannoned off the underside of the bar, before bouncing back out off of the goal line, allowing Hibs to scramble it clear.
The home side would double their advantage just four minutes later, with another fine finish from range. Howat was circling around the edge of the area once again and dropped back to pick up a pass from the right-hand side. With no immediate pressure, Howat took a touch into space and fired the ball into the roof of the net, out of Mutch’s reach.
Two minutes later, Rangers had their third. A short corner made its way from right to left, with several players involved in the build-up. Hay would play it across to Chantelle Swaby, and the centre back finished well into the side netting to add Rangers’ third of the afternoon.
Hibs were struggling to contain Rangers at this point, and the home side almost scored a fourth in the 67th minute. A deep cross from the right was swung towards Arnot at the back post, but a Hibs head put it out for a corner, which was cleared well by the away side.
Hibs were beginning to create a bit more as the game crept towards the closing stages, with Rangers sitting off. Substitute Rosie Livingstone did well to carry the ball forward on the left, laying off Shannon Leishman for a deep cross towards the back post, but her pass evaded the arriving Kirsty Morrison.
Rangers added their fourth in the 82nd minute. Kayla McCoy dispossessed Notley near the centre circle and lead a charge towards the Hibs box. The Rangers number 10 laid the ball off to the incoming Megan Bell, who slotted the ball under Mutch to further extend the gap.
Bell scored from range in the 87th minute to add Rangers’ fifth of the afternoon. The home side were moving the ball from left to right, and a loose ball was fed towards the edge of the box. No one moved to reclaim possession and Bell reacted first, with her first-time strike finding the back of the net for her second goal of the match.
Hibs had a couple of efforts off target and Eilidh Adams drew a good save from Jenna Fifa in the final few minutes, but the away side were unable to get a goal of their own as the referee brought the match to a close.
Hibs are back in league action next weekend, as they once again travel down the M8 to take on Partick Thistle at Petershill Park.