Rangers end week of hurt with more commanding cup success

A week is a long time in football.

This time last Sunday, Rangers' players were sprawled on the Ibrox turf, having just lost out on the SWPL title on the final day for the second season in a row.

But on Scottish Cup Sunday, Jo Potter's side ended the day with beaming grins, buoyancy and some bullish comments after comfortably beating Glasgow City.

In truth, they never really had to leave second gear as they strolled to successive domestic cup doubles and ensured City suffered back-to-back trophyless campaigns.

A commanding performance gilded with three deserved goals was more than enough, but 19-year-old winger Mia McAulay wanted more and stated Rangers "could have won about seven or eight-nil".

A confident comment, albeit one perhaps overexaggerated, from the teenager who opened the scoring with a composed and mature finish.

"We know what we want to do in these games, we had to start good and we got the first goal, I think that kicked us off," said McAulay.

"We dominated the whole game."

'On our day, no-one can handle us'

Rangers' superiority in the final couldn't be questioned. Whether it should have been seven or eight though, can.

McAulay herself inexplicably missed a glorious open goal from a matter of yards, after kissing a post in the first half, while Kathy Hill looped a header on to the bar.

Frustratingly for Potter, there was a dominance in their play that was non-existent last week when they had no answers to eventual league winners Hibs.

The former England international has overseen four cup final wins in her two seasons in charge, but insists it "doesn't dismiss" missing out on the title.

"It shows we had a point to prove and wanted to play and win in a certain way," the head coach told BBC Scotland.

"It was an excellent performance and an excellent win. I wasn't surprised by how we were playing. On our day, no-one can handle us and we definitely proved that."

As if they needed a helping hand, City were nowhere near their best.

Samantha van Diemen, the centre-back who has waltzed her way through her first season in Scottish football, had one of her worst games of the campaign.

After a slack pass in the build-up to the opener, she was left for dust by Kirsty Howat for the second.

Her dismal afternoon ended in ignominy as she was sent off following a VAR review for a last-ditch challenge.

The Dutch international was not the only underperformer for Leanne Ross' side, who now must use the summer to build not only domestically, but for their Champions League campaign earned by a second-placed league finish.

Questions for the former Scotland international to ponder over, while her Rangers counterparts will be doing much the same once their celebrations come to an end.

The impressive Howat, who joins up with the Scotland camp on Monday, admitted they "haven't had that control enough this season".

Potter and her staff will need to work out why. But for now, it's party time.