Hearts 0-6 Rangers: SWPL leaders 'a step above' - Andy Kirk
Hearts Women head coach Andy Kirk admitted his side were a class below Rangers as they were thrashed 6-0 by the SWPL 1 league leaders at Oriam.
Rangers were 5-0 up inside just 33 minutes, with Sam Kerr’s second goal of the afternoon making it six.
Lizzie Arnot also scored twice while Kirsty Howat and Zoe Ness both netted, as the heavy defeat left the Edinburgh side rooted to the bottom of table.
“There’s a lot of positives we can take in terms of the girls dug in and they tried to frustrate Rangers more in the second half,” Kirk told BBC Scotland.
“Rangers is a step above what we can compete with.”
Rangers remain at the top of the table, level on points with Glasgow City, but with a better goal difference of nine.
Hearts are level on points with Motherwell but bottom on goal difference.
The imparity between the teams was apparent from the get go as Rangers took only five minutes to open the scoring.
Kerr slotted into the bottom corner before Howat doubled the lead minutes later, drilling a shot into the top corner.
The Jambos’ frustration soon got the better of them; conceding two penalties, both of which were converted by Arnot.
Rangers added a fifth just after the half-hour mark, with Ness taking the ball round the onrushing goalkeeper Charlotte Parker-Smith.
Rachel Walkingshaw then had Hearts’ first chance of the game, but her long range effort was easily saved by goalkeeper Jenna Fife.
Rangers were unlucky not to make it six on the stroke of half time, as Rachel McLauchlan’s shot from the edge of the box hit a post.
The home side brought on captain Mariel Kaney and Jenny Smith at the break, leading to them creating the first chance of the half, but Lia Tweedie’s chance was straight at Fife.
Within a minute Emma Brownlie fired over for the visitors before Kerr got her second of the afternoon when she headed home Arnot’s cross.
Hearts’ physicality managed to limit Rangers to only one other opportunity after that, with Kirsten Reilly’s chance saved by Parker-Smith.
Player of the match – Lizzie Arnot
Arnot gets the nod here for having the composure to successfully convert both penalties and provide an assist. The first penalty was placed superbly into the bottom corner off the hand of Parker-Smith, with the second going the same way but high into the net above the goalkeeper.
Her cross which led to Rangers’ fifth and final goal of the afternoon was perfectly-placed, among the best that you’ll see.