First half goals from Poppy Lawson and Shannon McGregor weren't enough as Hibernian lost 6-2 to Rangers in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup.
Grant Scott made four changes to the side that lost to Rangers last Sunday. Kirsty Morrison captained the side on her 100th appearance for the club, while Siobhan Hunter, Ellis Notley and Tegan Bowie also returned to the starting XI.
Just three minutes in, Bowie almost justified her return to the side instantly. She dispossessed a defender inside the Rangers half and drove with the ball at goal. With no passing option, she hit the ball with power and her shot ricocheted off of the crossbar.
In the 11th minute, Hibs were punished for failing to make the most of their early domination. Liv McLoughlin dribbled the ball past a few Hibs players before laying the ball off to Mia McAulay at the edge of the box. The forward hit the ball first time and it deflected slowly into the bottom corner of Nina Wilson’s goal.
Hibs continued their early pressing and responded instantly. Poppy Lawson headed in Naomi Powell’s deep corner in the 16th minute to get Hibernian back on level terms.
The game was a fairly back and forth affair until the half-hour mark. The press from the forward line continued to force errors from the opposition backline but were unable to capitalise on the opportunities.
The Hibs defence were dealing well with the away side’s attacking efforts. Ellis Notley perfectly timed a slide tackle and cleared the danger as Chelsea Cornet dribbled dangerously in the box.
32 minutes in and Hibernian were trailing once more. Rangers mounted a counter-attack and quickly passed the ball from the left-hand side byline to the back post. The ball eventually reached an unmarked Lizzie Arnot, who scuffed the ball past Wilson at the near post.
Yet again Hibs didn’t let their heads drop. Notley and Morrison played a one-two 20 yards from goal, before the latter then slipped Shannon McGregor through and she rifled her effort into the top corner of goal with 38 minutes on the clock.
Hibernian were playing with real confidence against a Rangers team that has conceded just ten goals in the league this season, and the two sides went into the break 2-2 with it all to play for in the second-half. Rangers made one change at half-time, with Rio Hardy replacing Arnot.
Following the restart Hibs had the first chance of the half. A well-worked corner routine saw the ball come to Jorian Baucom at the back post but she could only head her effort wide.
On the hour-mark Bowie pulled up as she was running back and was replaced by Mya Christie.
A huge chance fell for Hibs as Victoria Esson slipped, allowing Baucom to intercept her wayward pass and the ball bobbled to Morrison - who tried to lob the keeper. Esson did well to slap it away. Rangers quickly scrambled the ball away and a Nicola Docherty punt went all the way over the Hibs backline to Sarah Ewens. The forward took the ball down, dribbled quickly at the Hibs goal and slotted the ball under Wilson in the 66th minute.
The goal was a tough one to concede after how close Hibs had come to taking the lead seconds earlier. Following the goal Hibs struggled to create the amount of chances they were creating previously and spent a lot of time in their own half.
In the 77th minute, Hunter’s pass at the edge of the box was partially blocked and it fell to Rachel Rowe. The midfielder got herself into a good position and forced a good save from Wilson. Hunter was then replaced by striker Lia Tweedie.
Rangers continued to dominate possession and with three minutes to go Leah Eddie slid into the back of a Rangers attacker and gave away a penalty. Rio Hardy stepped up and placed her shot well into the bottom-right corner past Wilson, who had guessed correctly, to put Rangers two in front for the first time.
Rangers got a fifth shortly after. Wilson parried a cross back into danger and Jane Ross was first to react as she stabbed it into the net.
In the sixth minute of injury time, Rangers got their sixth of the afternoon. The opposition won a free-kick at the byline and whipped the ball into the box, which landed right onto the head of Hardy and the forward made no mistake in heading it powerfully past Wilson.
The match finished 6-2 to Rangers, a result that reflects very harshly on Hibernian’s performance.
