Rachel McLauchlan revealed that she was so surprised that she found the net with a glorious 25-yard effort at Hampden this afternoon that she felt obliged to mark the moment with a knee slide all the way along the sodden turf.
It was an historic afternoon for the Ibrox club as they claimed the Scottish Cup for the first time with McLauchlan’s goal supplemented by a late second from Lizzie Arnot.
It might not quite be sufficient to banish the hangover left by the failure to clinch the title this season but it was vital for Jo Potter’s side that they bowed out of the season on the back of claiming the Scottish Cup which they can now add to the League Cup.
“Being in the Scottish Cup final and to go out on a high like that, it was really special,” said the Scotland internationalist. “I would have been happy with a tap-in, so to score a goal like that was amazing.
“When it got passed out to me, I knew I could take a touch and have a go and thankfully it came off my foot nicely and ended up in the back of the net.
“I didn’t know what to do at first and then I thought, yeah, I have to go for the knee-slide as I had never done it in my career before!
“It was just relief and I was happy to get myself on the scoresheet. I have got so much love for the club so to make history, we knew how important that was going to be for us.”
It has been that lack of a clinical edge that undermined Rangers this season and, ultimately, cost them the title. For both Potter and McLauchlan it is not something that was lost on them but was not the subject matter for an afternoon in which they looked to enjoy the celebrations.
“We know that is something that we have to work on,” said McLauchlan. “But that is not for today. Now we want to enjoy the moment.”
Ibrox captain Nicola Docherty, who signed a new deal with the club at the start of last week, was delighted at the manner in which the players were able to dust themselves and get their heads focused on the Scottish Cup.
It was an excruciating way to lose the title last weekend as Celtic clinched it with a 90th minute winner. It was a kick in the guts for a Rangers side who had looked firmly on course for a domestic treble for much of the season.
And for Docherty, a childhood Rangers fan, the moment was particularly poignant.
"I'm incredibly proud of the players,” she said. “This group is special. We found a way to win and that's why we're champions.
"I still get goosebumps thinking about it [lifting the trophy with Rangers].
"I've been a Rangers fan since I was a kid so to have moments like this could bring a tear to my eye because I love this club and I love these people.
“I honestly can’t wait for next season already. It will be great to get a break after the international camp but I am already looking forward to getting back in and working with them all and doing all the running because we have a real spirit and togetherness about us.
“We can’t wait to go and do it all again.”
