Lizzie Arnot reacts to Rangers wonder goal after Sky Sports Cup final

Malky Thomson's side never looked in danger of losing, a fact which will be all the more painful for a Hibs side that, while not lacking in effort, barely laid a glove on their opponents. Arnot's goal was the undoubted highlight, a stunning swing of the left boot that set a course for her to win this competition for a fourth time in her career, on this occasion at the expense of her old club. The 26-year-old is no stranger to success, having also spent time with Manchester United, but admitted it's an honour to carry the weight of expectation in a Rangers side threatening to sweep all before them.

“Since I have come here and the club has been professional there is a level of expectation and we need to use that as a privilege. It has created a winning mentality at the club," Arnot said. "I'm grateful to be here. It's something we need to keep striving to do, and that's to keep on winning trophies. It's great (to be the team to beat). I've been on the other side of that - when I was at Hibs, Glasgow City were the team to beat, so I know what it's like coming up against those teams. You know teams will fight that bit harder against you, and there's external pressure as well. As a group, we stay together and stay humble."

The first SWPL match ever to be broadcast live on Sky Sports, the first chance of a typically cagey cup final opening fell to Kayla McCoy, who should've found the target with a header after a neatly worked short Rangers corner. Backed noisily by the club's Union Bears ultras group, the Ibrox side had settled the quicker, despite the early loss of Jenny Danielsson to a head knock, and were keen to work the ball left to Arnot at every opportunity. Hibs right-back Leah Eddie had the better of their early exchanges but the Rangers winger needed only the narrowest of openings to smash an unstoppable effort into Benedicte Haaland's top corner from distance.

Lizzie Arnot celebrates (Image: SNS)

"It was definitely up there in my career," she said afterwards. "It's probably one of the best, especially coming in a cup final and being in a stadium like Tynecastle."

It was a goal that had been coming for a side described by Hibs manager Dean Gibson earlier this week as the best the SWPL has ever seen. A goal to the good, they proceeded to set up camp in their opponents' half for much of the opening period, their composure in possession and well drilled movement proving increasingly difficult for the Edinburgh to handle. A few frustrated voices in the Hibs end demand they get closer to blue shirts, but it was less Hibs' endeavour being in question and more Rangers simply operating at a level above. That being said, Thomson may just have been disappointed his team failed to create another chance of note before the half-time whistle sounded. Getting into Hibs' defensive third was often too easy, but once there they found a backline marshalled by captain Joelle Murray a tough nut to crack.

Perhaps sensing they were in danger of letting the occasion pass them by, Hibs discovered a hint of attacking threat as the first period drew to a close, and Rosie Livingstone will feel her excellent run and cross from the right deserved someone gambling to tap it home in the six yard box. It was an encouraging end to the half for Gibson's side, but they almost found themselves two down within minutes of the restart as McCoy again failed to find the target with a header. That let-off aside, it was undoubtedly better from Hibs as Krystna Freda's shot from Michaela McAlonie's clever pass finally gave Jenna Fife in the Rangers goal something to think about.

At the other end, Haaland got down smartly to palm McCoy's low free-kick to safety as proceedings threatened, at last, to open up. It wasn't quite happening for the Rangers striker, who just couldn't divert Brogan Hay's cutback goalwards, although it looked for all the the world the winger was going to pull the trigger herself. McCoy's smart turn then allowed her to lash over a cross of her own, but again there were no takers. Her replacement, Howat, almost immediately added a second with a speculative effort from range that clattered off the bar before Arnot blazed the rebound well over. It left manager Thomson head in hands, gazing skywards as a killer second continued to elude his team. He needn't have worried.

Moments later, Howat teed herself up again, this time lashing into the bottom corner and carving Rangers' name into this trophy for the first time - but almost certainly not the last. Hibs, for their part, were left to wonder what might've been on a day where they failed to get out of the traps against an admittedly imperious opponent.

“It is devastating,” said crestfallen midfielder Shannon McGregor. “For the history we have of winning cups it was difficult to take. For the players who have been here for a long time it is more difficult, because the new players don’t really know that feeling of how many cups we have won as a team."

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