Simply the best
Potter hails cup triumph as ‘performance of winners’
JO POTTER insisted she has a squad full of winners after rangers held on to the Sky Sports Cup to lift the first trophy of the season.
The ibrox side strolled to a comfortable win over Partick Thistle that may well have come via a significantly wider margin.
Goals from 17-year-old Mia McAulay, rachel rowe, rio Hardy and liv Mcloughlin ensured Thistle’s brief moment of hope after rachel Donaldson had restored first-half parity was ultimately little more than a footnote.
Potter admitted that the psychological impact of their win can be the catalyst as rangers look to go and claim a clean sweep this season.
The ibrox side are a point clear at the top of the SWPL and have a scottish Cup semifinal next month against Celtic.
Potter said: “i’ve said from day one, there are winners in that group and it’s making them believe they’re the best because i believe they are. There are not many i would swap in that room as people and as players.
“That is big for me that they are such a together group. it can seem like a cliche but that togetherness is there.
“i’m proud of each and every single one of them because it was a performance of winners.
“it’s big. it’s all about momentum. The first trophy is always difficult. We’re still there to be caught. We’re the ones at forefront of the league and we are there to be got at – and everyone wants to get us.
“We expect that and it’s how we take that pressure. We’re already thinking about Hibs next weekend. Nothing is easy coming into the end of the season and we know it will be tough. it’s hard to not look forward at times but there is one trophy there now and we want to make sure we go and enjoy it just now.”
McAulay got Gers up and running with the first goal of the day – but not before Thistle had posted notice of their own attacking threat.
Mcloughlin had to clear off the line after imogen longcake forced her way inside the ibrox box before unleashing an effort. But within a couple of minutes, rangers were in front. McAulay netted after a long ball from Kathy Hill sent her scampering in behind the Thistle defence and, with Jags keeper Ava easdon caught out, the teenager showed enormous composure to lash her effort into the bottom corner. Thistle’s response was immediate. Clare Docherty’s run down the flank teed up Donaldson who let fly with a rasping effort from the edge of the box into the top corner. But Thistle’s fightback hopes did not last long. rowe restored the ibrox side’s cushion from a corner after a fierce effort from distance. There was a killer third before the break when Hardy and Jane ross exchanged passes before Hardy slotted a low effort into the net. And in the second half, Mcloughlin capitalised on a Thistle mix-up shortly after Hardy missed an open goal.