Partick Thistle 0-8 Rangers
By Gethin Thurlow for Impetus at Petershill Park (16/2/26)
Above: Rangers celebrate with captain Nicola Docherty afetr she scored Photo: Rangers FC
Rangers looked imperious all over the pitch as they dominated Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup quarter final in Glasgow. With shining performances all over the pitch, this side looks like a Rangers team ready to retain that cup double – and potentially challenge for the SWPL title too.
The Teams
With a place at Hampden Park and a Scottish cup semi final on the cards, Leanne Crichton named a full strength team at Petershill, facing a Partick Thistle building form in the league. Callie Brookshire continued to start, after her late heriocs a few weeks ago at this ground against City. Camille Lafaix, finally back up to full fitness has been enjoying a good run in the team and that continued this afternoon.
Hosts Partick Thistle meanwhile had legendary midfielder Jo Love absent, and tried a slightly unusual plan to replicate her control and reading of the game in the defensive midfield role. Right back Rosie Slater moved in there, with usual left back Abbi Handley starting on the right of a back four. Imogen Longcake started as the striker – an area Partick have struggled all season.
These changes didn’t tighten up the Partick defence early on. Within three minutes, Jodi McCleary’s cross into Katie Wilkinson bobbled around a bit before the English striker calmly pushed the ball home to give Rangers the lead.
The Jags barely put an attack together before the score was doubled. Lafaix’s ball into the box was headed out, and Nicola Docherty struck it powerfully with her left foot. Jeni Currie got a hand to it, but that only pushed it onto the inside of the post, before bouncing in.
A couple of minutes later and the lead was three. Callie Brookshire crossed to the right, with January SWPL player of the month Eilidh Austin beating a defender and finding Laura Berry in miles of space on the six yard line. She composed herself, then smashed the ball past Currie, already surpassing what Glasgow City did against Stenhousemuir within 15 minutes.
Unlike that City game, Partick Thistle did attack and get the ball into their opposition’s half, but it didn’t garner any better goal chances. Longcake only had hopeful long balls to feed on most of the day, and Rangers always recovered in numbers, giving Thistle no time or space to work with.
While there was more space provided and some really poor defending on display, Rangers’ attack looked brilliant. Dynamic movement around the box, high-quality balls delivered from Brookshire on the left and Austin on the right and a midfield running rings around Partick will please Crichton so much.
The way McLearly, Cruft and Lafaix were able to dribble, pass and sprint past Partick’s midfield just gave them the freedom to completely manipulate the game, picking out killer balls into the box, recycling possession when required and making their own chances on occasion. After a quarter-of-an-hour break from scoring Rangers fancied a fourth.
They played a trick freekick between McLearly and Brookshire, finding the Greek winger wide again, ready to cause more chaos. This time, her cross fizzed all the way to Eilidh Austin, who deflected back across the face of goal. Waiting there was Kathy Hill, who with her back to goal, touched the ball over her head and into the net.
There was no break between the fourth and fifth however, as Eilidh Austin, out of position in the middle of the pitch, played a textbook through-ball for Berry, who rolled it below Currie first time. Somehow, the scoreline didn’t change again before the half time whistle.
Nothing changed at the break, as Partick continued to defend poorly while Rangers looked absolutely incredible. Camille Lafaix put on the sort of display Rangers fans have been crying out for the last year, ducking and diving between defenders and playing brilliant balls. The standout was a through ball delicately placed in the path of Quinty Sabajo early in the second half, an absolute defence-splitter that ended up being cleared after Sabajo passed wide.
On a similar through ball, this time from a closer range, Lafaix over-hit the ball as Jeni Currie rushed out and easily got there before the incoming Wilkinson. However, instead of grabbing the ball, she somehow pushed it back out into play, so that when Wilkinson played a simple ball back to Berry she had an empty net to put the ball into, completing her hatrick.
It was the usual suspects involved in the seventh goal. Austin, putting pressure on the defence forced- then won the subsequent high ball, heading to Berry. This time she decided to reverse the last goal and passed to Wilkinson, who rarely would miss the target from inside the box like that.
A triple change, the hosts would’ve hoped might bring them some rest bite, but it did not initially. After Brogan Hay was brought on – encouraging as she returns from a long-term injury – alongside young player Sophie Black and the ever-present Mia McAulay, Rangers won a corner. Jodi McLearly put a great ball in and it was headed by centre back Leah Eddie.
Player of the Match Camille Lafaix
There was so many different world class performances out there today: Laura Berry, Callie Brookshire, Eilidh Austin and Jodi McLeary, but for me it is Lafaix that comes out on top. The midfielder was truly back at her best level today. She was just doing whatever she wanted out there, popping up across the pitch, winning fouls, getting assists, advancing the ball.
With the American midfielder coming such form, the prospect of facing Rangers twice post-split will be a scary one for every SWPL team.
Where this leaves the teams
It was a very poor performance from Partick Thistle. On the same ground two hours, a Championship side had fought all game long, limiting Scotland’s best team to just 2 goals. Within 15 minutes, Partick were already three goals down. While they might have offered more going forward than Stenhousemuir, they also handed Rangers a 90 minute free trial to access any part of the Petershill pitch they wanted.
While anything short of a win would have been extremely disappointing for Leanne Crichton, but the manner of it will be satisfying. Winning 8-0 is a step above those 3-0 and 4-0’s, and it carry’s on a pattern for her team since the winter break.
8-0 was only the score at half time against Hamilton, while 4 points from Hibs and City is as good as you can hope for. After an understandably shaky start under the new manager, the team have settled now and seem like a good shout to be the closest challengers for the title this year, while they also try to retain both cups again.
TEAMS: PARTICK THISTLE (4-1-4-1): Currie, Handley, Falconer (c), Ferguson, McCuloch, Slater, English, McAllister, King, Donaldson, Longcake. Substitutes: Rennie (for King 49′), Syrijanen (for Longcake 61′), Hollis (for Donaldson 61′), Fraser (for McCuloch 72′)
RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Fife, Austin, Eddie, Hill, Docherty (c), McLeary, Cruft, Berry, Lafaix, Brookshire, Wilkinson. Substitutes: Sabajo (for Cruft 46′), Rafferty (for Hill 46′) McAulay (for Wilkinson 60′), Hay (for Brookshire 60′), Black (for Lafaix 60′)
Scorer: 0-1 Wilkinson 3′, 0-2 Docherty 10′, 0-3 Berry 13′, 0-4 Hill 28′, 0-5 Berry 33′, 0-6 Berry 48′, 0-7 Wilkinson 57′, 0-8 Eddie 70′.
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