Rangers 2-0 Montrose
By Gethin Thurlow for Impetus at Broadwood stadium (23/2/26)
Above: Lauren Perry claims a cross from Rangers in the swirling rain of Cumbernauld. Photo: @amyphotography_22 on Instagram.
Montrose missed out on what would have been an incredible achievement of reaching the top six and getting into the top split of the SWPL for the first time thanks to a late goal from Partick Thistle in another game.
Montrose did enough – losing only 2-0 to high flying Rangers, which would have seen them through in sixth on goals scored if Partick drew with Hamilton, but Thistle struck in injury time to grab that spot themselves.
The Teams
There were some big calls up front for both managers. Leanne Crichton dropped SWPL top scorer Katie Wilkinson, Mia McAulay coming in for the English star. This allowed Laura Berry – who’s scored 2 hatricks in a row, to take up her preferred position in the middle. With McAulay and Brookshire on the wing, Rangers would have more width than with Berry on the right, although right back Eilidh Austin has been incredible in taking up that attacking burden recently.
Craig Feroz meanwhile made the massive call to bench star striker Kaela McDonald Nguah, and club captain Jade Mclaren from the midfield. Looking to hold this Rangers attack, Montrose went with a back five, and two holding midfielders in front of them. Talitha Robb as an attacking midfielder in behind Sophia Martin and Hannah Innes made up the attacking structure of Montrose.
The Action
This was a much more even start than Rangers usually have against the bottom five sides. Montrose weren’t sitting back in a low block, they were winning the ball back in midfield and looking to play the attackers in. The high press also had some success, earning a number of early attacking throw-ins and a corner for the ‘Mighty Mo’.
On the ball, it was a struggle for Rangers to break down their opponents, particularly when they were in structure. Trying to use the pace of their front four, lots of balls went in over the top, but not much came from them. Montrose’s defensive seven stayed well disciplined and rarely gave up any space for the technical hosts to work some magic. The first shot of the game was an off-balance volley, outside the box from McAulay, who sliced the effort high and wide.
After the team won a free kick on the halfway line, Montrose captain Cassie Cowper played a quick clever ball to find Phoebe Murray open on the left hand side. She played it to wingback Demi Taylor, who put a sumptuous ball into the box. Here was the danger though for the away team. Out of position, a quick Rangers ball up the left exposed them May Cruft turned inside and found McAulay, who get inside her defender and unleashed a left footed shot past Lauren Perry in goal.
The goal didn’t really alter the course of the match. Montrose stayed strong when they held a structure, and had some limited options of their own going forward when they did win that ball back.
Laura Berry should’ve made it 2-0 on the half hour mark. She picked up the ball in the box, sending two defenders sliding to the four with some skill, but she tried to be too perfect and that final touch carried into the grateful arms of Perry. Goalkeeper Perry probably had less to do than she’d have expected in the first half, making another strong save from the boot of McAulay – who was getting everywhere today.
As the second half got going it was clear that Rangers were stepping it up a gear, they started to really pressure Montrose’s backline. Laura Berry was played in through on goal, but was only able to sting the hands of Perry. There was two more shots hit wide by Berry it what was a difficult afternoon bearing that main striker responsibility.
She did however find that second goal after Katie Wilkinson replaced Callie Brookshire and Berry was moved back out to the right. A delightful ball from Quinty Sabajo once again saw Berry in behind the defence, she managed to tuck it under an incoming Perry and put just enough power on the strike that when Georgia Carter slid in to stop the ball crossing the line she could only push it in, colliding with the post herself.
Knowing that 2-0 was the very last possible scoreline Montrose could afford to give up assuming the other game ended in a draw, there was an incredibly nervous 20 minutes where they didn’t quite know whether to attack to bring that goal difference down to one or even try and get a result, or just sit back to protect the 2-0 as it was. Striker Kaela McDonald-Nguah was brought on pretty much straight after that goal and unfortunately for her it was the time in the match Montrose really offered nothing on the ball.
Bar a long range shot from Kim Shin-Ji which flew over the bar however, Craig Feroz’s team gave up nothing to the Glasgow side. As the final whistle sounded, it was a waiting game for Montrose and time to celebrate for Leanne Crichton, as Celtic’s defeat over Hearts meant they entered the split in second place, five points below Glasgow City.
About 10 minutes after the game had ended, Partick Thistle scored a late winner, through Celtic’s own Sienna McGoldrick, who had just signed for Thistle on loan that very morning. The gaggle of Montrose fans that had made the long journey down despaired as their dream season was taken away in the blink of an eye.
Player of the Match Lauren Perry
It was a strange game. Rangers had control, but never looked too threatening to Montrose. It was far away from a vintage Rangers performance like the two we’ve seen the last two weeks. The gap between the sides in performance was still worth more than the two goal margin – which would’ve been a top-split achieving margin without that late Partick winner, and Lauren Perry in goal had a lot to do with letting only two goals in.
She commanded her box well, something she has done in recent months against other top teams – conceding one each to Hibernian and Celtic. There was also a number of show-reel saves that Perry pulled off, providing frustration to McAulay and Berry in particular. As Montrose prepare for a fierce battle with Aberdeen and Motherwell to avoid the relegation playoff ninth position, the games are going to be tight and keeping clean sheets crucial to picking up points, they will want to see more of the same from Perry.
What slowed Rangers down
The Rangers of 2026 has looked like the team to beat in Scotland since the turn of the year, brushing past opponents with ease and stepping up the game against the top sides too. Having lost to Hibs and Glasgow City first time round, they took four points from those teams in January and beat Celtic for a third time already this season in the league cup semi’s.
On this day however, the same could not be said for the Glasgow residents. With the introduction of winger Mia McAulay into the side for striker Katie Wilkinson, it seemed like Rangers would be symtretical on the wings once more. However, McAulay seemed to be playing the same role as Berry – sitting inside a little on the left sided centre back rather than staying wide, allowing Eilidh Austin to take up that role as she has been.
Whilst this had brought out the best in striker Berry, it didn’t quite work for McAulay. Rangers had less passing lanes with a very narrow front five for Montrose and as such Scotland’s own didn’t get ball to feet as much as she would like. She got into great areas and was unlucky to score, but this system certainly didn’t give us the best of McAulay.
When Brookshire, who continues to star down that left wing departed for Wilkinson, pushing Berry into that right hand side and McAulay in her preferred left winger position, the game opened up a bit more for Rangers and Berry ultimately had enough chances to get that third consecutive hatrick. An interesting one to ponder for Crichton, fitting in the fantatsic Brookshire and McAulay, while Berry and Wilkinson continue to lead the league for goalscoring.
What bottom split means for Montrose
A combination of two games that Montrose will want back and a turn around in form from Partick Thistle saw them lose out on that spot which absolutely no one believed they could get when we kicked off in August. The damage was done last gameweek as Partick defeated the Mo 2-1. They knew that losing by two goals or less and hoping for at least a draw in the other game was the most they could expect on Sunday and it so nearly happened.
However, after an international break Montrose have to come back, pick themselves up and fight for the rest of the season. With two games each against the other bottom split teams – Motherwell, Aberdeen and Hamilton Accies, they have to avoid ninth place and that playoff against an SWPL2 side. They currently sit four points above Motherwell and Aberdeen, with the Accies a further nine away after picking up just two draws all season. Montrose have looked a cut above the rest of these teams so far, but a couple of close results against them and the fight is well and truly on.
TEAMS: RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Fife, Austin, Eddie, Rafferty, Docherty (c), McLeary, Cruft, McAulay, Lafaix, Brookshire, Berry. Substitutes: Wilkinson (for Brookshire 61′), Shin-Ji (for McLeary 61′), Sabajo (for Lafaix 65′), Hay (for McAulay 65′), Boyce (for Eddie 81′), Kelly, Pegram, Black.
Scorers: 1-0 McAulay 18′, 2-0 Berry 73′.
MONTROSE (5-2-1-2): Perry, Murray, Ross, Cowper (c), Glover, Taylor, Brown, Robertson, Robb, Innes, Martin. Substitutes: Carter (for Murray 56′), Guthrie (for Innes 56′), Elliot (for Gover 74′), McDonald-Nguah (for Brown 74′), Milne, Mclaren, Henderson.
Referee: Lauren Whitehead
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