Jane Ross fired a sensational hat-trick as Rangers Women stormed into the Scottish Cup final with a dominant 5-0 demolition of Aberdeen at the national stadium.
Cementing their place in the May 26 showpiece, Jo Potter’s side overwhelmed the Dons with a ruthless attacking display, ensuring a return to Hampden Park where they will meet rivals Glasgow City.
Ross found the net on three occasions, while also setting up goals for Rio Hardy and Lizzie Arnot, as the holders kept their hopes of a domestic treble alive following their SWPL Cup success earlier this season.
It was a fast start from Rangers, who dominated possession and applied early pressure. They were rewarded after nine minutes when Mia McAulay burst down the right and cut the ball back for Ross to tuck away from close range.
Aberdeen, making their first appearance at the national stadium, tried to settle into the occasion but were undone again just before half-time. A defensive mix-up allowed Ross to set up Hardy for an easy tap-in to double Rangers' lead.
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After the break, the holders continued to press. Brogan Hay picked out Ross, who controlled neatly on her chest before finishing smartly to put the result beyond any doubt.
The Scotland striker completed her hat-trick by reacting quickest after Arnot’s shot was saved, turning home the rebound from almost on the line.
Ross then turned provider once more, teeing up Arnot to add a fifth late on and complete a dominant afternoon for Rangers.
Although Aberdeen defended gamely for spells and created the odd half-chance on the counter, they were ultimately outclassed by Rangers’ full-time quality and impressive squad depth. It will certainly be an experience that Scott Booth's team can learn from.
Reflecting on her Player of the Match performance, Ross expressed her delight to BBC Alba.
"I'm happy to be on the scoresheet and to be contributing to the win today," she said. "So, it's personally pleasing.
"There's a lot of competition there and there's so much quality within that frontline. I think we all have different attributes as well, so it's a good headache for Jo to have, and yeah, there's lots of options."
