Leanne Crichton was satisfied with the outcome but characteristically exacting in her assessment after Rangers Women continued their strong run of form with a 3–0 victory over Partick Thistle.
The win delivered three goals, three points and a third consecutive clean sheet, yet Crichton made it clear her side still have levels to reach as they build momentum heading into the winter break.
“Overall, I’m really pleased,” Crichton said.
“Three points and three goals is what you want, but there were parts of the game where we probably took our foot off the gas.”
Rangers struck early and found themselves in a commanding position inside the opening stages, but Crichton felt that comfort crept in too quickly and disrupted their rhythm in possession.
“I would have liked us to be more cutting edge earlier on,” she admitted.
“At times we rushed things, forced passes, and maybe thought it would be easy to go and get that third goal.
“Against Partick Thistle, it’s never like that. They don’t crumble and they don’t give in.”
While the head coach acknowledged frustration with the middle portion of the first half, she was quick to stress the bigger picture.
Rangers are now four wins on the bounce across all competitions, with performances steadily improving after a stop-start beginning to the campaign.
“We’re at a stage of the season where it feels like we’re just getting going,” Crichton said.
“That’s the pleasing thing for me. Performance levels are improving week on week, and we’re finally getting players back, building minutes and creating competition in the squad - something we just haven’t had all season.”
Defensively, Rangers solidity continues to stand out.
Another clean sheet made it three in a row, a statistic Crichton views as a reflection of structure and collective discipline rather than a standalone target.
“We’re very aware that goals can decide games in this league, whether it’s for or against,” she explained.
“But clean sheets aren’t something we obsess over.
“It’s more about how we defend with and without the ball, our organisation and our structure. When you get that right, the confidence it gives the group is massive.”
Crichton believes that growing defensive assurance is feeding directly into Rangers confidence and control during matches, allowing the team to impose themselves more consistently.
Attention now turns to the final fixture before the break, with Rangers travelling north to face Aberdeen - a test Crichton knows will demand full focus.
“We never look beyond the next game,” she said.
“That was the message to the group. We’ve taken care of this one, now we regroup and plan properly for next week.”
She also acknowledged the challenge of the trip to Balmoral Stadium in December, highlighting both the conditions and the quality of the opposition.
“It’s never an easy place to go, especially at this time of year,” Crichton added.
“Scott Booth will have his team ready, and they’ll want to finish the year strongly as well.”
“If we can do that, we give ourselves the best platform to reset, recover and be ready to go again in the new year.”