Match report as Rangers win the first domestic trophy of the Scottish women's season with a 2-0 victory against seven-time champions Hibernian at Tynecastle; club top goalscorer Lizzie Arnot gave Rangers the lead with a screamer, before sub Kirsty Howat added a second to seal the win
Monday 12 December 2022 06:13, UK
Lizzie Arnot's wonder strike put Rangers on the way to a 2-0 victory over her old club Hibernian as they lifted the Sky Sports Cup for the first time.
It was a fitting goal for the first Scottish women's game to be shown live on Sky Sports, with substitute Kirsty Howat adding a second in the second half of the final at Tynecastle.
There was an early warning signing for Hibs when Kayla McCoy glanced a header wide, before a moment of magic from Arnot (16), who picked up the ball on the left before unleashing an unstoppable effort across the goalkeeper and into the top-left corner.
Rangers continued to assert their dominance, with Howat rattling the crossbar shortly before effectively wrapping up victory with a well-taken shot across goal for Rangers' second in the 76th minute.
Sam Kerr drew a save from Hibernian goalkeeper Benedicte Haaland in the closing stages, with Arnot and Howat also going close, but it ended 2-0, with Rangers getting their hands on the first piece of domestic silverware on offer this season.
Rangers fired an early warning shot when Brogan Hay received a short corner and crossed for McCoy who headed just wide with the goal at her mercy.
But Rangers did not have to wait long for the opener after Arnot pounced on a header up field to net her 13th goal of the season. The forward dragged the ball away from a Hibernian defender before smashing across goal into the top corner from 25 yards, leaving Haaland with no chance.
Hibernian had the odd foray forward in the first half, but it was Rangers who remained on top with two long-range efforts from Tessel Middag that went over as they were unable to add to the scoreline before the break.
McCoy headed wide again from a Nicola Docherty cross early in the second half, before Hibernian spurned a chance to equalise when Krystyna Freda fired straight at Rangers goalkeeper Jenna Fife.
Middag tested Haaland from a free-kick which the goalkeeper saved low to her left, before McCoy was unable to latch on to a disguised low cross from Hay.
Hibernian sent on Liana Hinds and Nor Mustafa as they went in search of an equaliser, but it was Rangers who were still more threatening, with Howat rattling the crossbar from distance.
Howat was then played in by Hay, taking an excellent first touch before shooting low and hard across the goalkeeper to double Rangers' lead.
Arnot and Howat both had chances to add to their respective tallies, but both fired over as the game ended 2-0.
Rangers manager Malky Thomson told Sky Sports it is only the beginning:
"We feel a lot of emotion. We were talking before about the enormity of the game, the bit of history there, the first-ever Rangers women to win a cup. It'll go down in history and deservedly so.
"I think when we get on a big pitch at a professional ground, with a grass surface, we're difficult to play against. Overall we controlled the game and we scored two special goals to win it.
"We're so lucky in the squad we have to be able to have a good product on the park that people want to watch. We have a depth of talent and Lizzie Arnot has experience, ex-Man Utd, she's difficult to contain, especially when she gets running and she can finish.
"It's important to win every game at Rangers. We're under no illusion that we need to win, it's what the club demands. Not just winning but winning in style and in a certain fashion, have an end product that people want to watch - and the turnout was excellent.
"I'm proud of the girls and it's down to them. Also down to all the guys behind the scenes with all the details to have everything in order to win games."
Captain Kathryn Hill said it was an honour to lead Rangers to glory:
"My first time around here the club never won anything and the club wasn't professional.
"Now every time I drive through the gates with the Rangers badge there I'm grateful to call it my full-time job."
Hibernian head coach Dean Gibson told Sky Sports his young team will be better for their cup final experience:
"It was a hard one. I think when a side of Rangers' quality turn up, they're hard to get near. We just couldn't get close enough to them.
"When you play Rangers you have to be at the top of your game and we just weren't today.
"The sharpness of Rangers was clear and that was down to a number of things. Rangers have been in their environment for three years and we've only been in it for a year, but we met on the same occasion and we were both in a final.
"We know we're going grow, we know we're going to get better and when we do we know we'll be able to compete better with sides of that quality.
"In that starting XI today seven were under 23, five were 21 or under and three were teenagers so we're a very young side playing against a lot of experience.
"We've got to learn from the experience and the experience we'll take is in games like that you've got to be at the top of your game."
