RANGERS SUNK BY LATE SHOW

RANGERS failed to make the group stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League but succeeded in giving Benfica a real fright last night.

Leading 3-2 from the first leg at Ibrox, the Lisbon side needed extra-time to see off the visitors after 16-year-old substitute Emma Watson squared the tie with just three minutes of the 90 remaining.

It punished the home team for squandering a ridiculous amount of scoring opportunities, albeit any chance Malky Thomson’s side had of causing an upset was short-lived with Cloe Lacasse putting Benfica back in control less than three minutes into the added period.

Sousa Alves was red-carded for the Portuguese outfit at the start of the second half of extra-time for heated protests, but Jessica Silva made sure of their lucrative Champions League place when she added a second goal a minute from time.

It was a bitter pill for Rangers to swallow after they had gained parity on the night.

For this was largely a case of damage limitation as Benfica came at them in wave after wave of attack, with goalkeeper Victoria Esson continually at the centre of the action.

It took ten minutes before Kayla McCoy, isolated up front, got a touch of the ball when picked out by Nicola Docherty — only for an offside flag to be raised. Her next moment of note came when the ball fell kindly for her in the box but, off guard, she took a swipe and shot wide.

By the time the interval arrived, Benfica had forced Esson into at least four decent saves and, when she was beaten by Lacasse, the crossbar saved the visitors.

Their defending became increasingly ragged as they toiled under incessant attacks. The wide areas remained an issue for Rangers as the Portuguese side continually exposed them.

Ana Seica sclaffed a chance that she ought to have put in the back of the net while Valeria Silva’s shot ricocheted off three Rangers defenders before they managed to scramble clear. Docherty showed all her experience to anticipate a backpost tap-in and intervene.

At the cusp of the break, Lizzie Arnot stood over a free-kick for Rangers but failed to trouble Benfica keeper Rute Costa.

In the second half, Ana Vitoria tried to dink Esson after spotting her off her line, while Lisa Martinez had to be alert to deny Nicole Raysla with a last-ditch tackle.

Rangers had a glorious chance when Chelsea Cornet got herself onto the end of Docherty’s looping cross but she prodded just past the post.

Benfica’s Lacasse then fired an effort straight at Esson after going through on goal.

Incredibly, Watson made the hosts pay for their profligacy right at the death when the teenager was on hand to poke the ball into the net after McCoy had put Carole Costa under pressure from a Rangers corner.

Docherty almost won it for Thomson’s side as she advanced forward, unleashing a 20-yard effort that rose just over the bar before the game headed into extra-time.

It took Benfica two minutes to finally breach Rangers’ rearguard when Lacasse got the goal the hosts feared would never come. The Canadian international forced her way down the left flank before cutting inside Rachel McLauchlan and beating Esson — who had been in fine form throughout the opening 90 minutes — at her near post.

The forward, who oozed class across both legs, almost doubled Benfica’s lead immediately afterwards only for Rangers defender Martinez to deflect the danger.

Having got themselves in firm control of the tie, Benfica did not allow it to slip from their grasp for a second time despite Alves’ late dismissal.

Rangers felt they should have been given a penalty when Watson went down in the box, only for Silva to latch on to a long ball to fire the hosts in front and secure their place in the group stage.