18-year-old striker Laura Berry admitted she was “buzzing” after her brace helped fire Rangers Women into the Sky Sports Cup final following their dramatic penalty shootout victory over Celtic Women.
The young forward delivered on the biggest stage, scoring twice in a chaotic semi-final, including a 90th minute equaliser, before Rangers held their nerve from the spot to seal progression, a moment Berry described as unforgettable.
“Yeah, I'm buzzing. I'm buzzing for the team. I think we've worked really hard across the whole game today,” she said with a smile.
“We’re just really, really happy to get through to the final.”
It was a landmark individual afternoon too. Berry’s two-goal contribution underlined her growing importance, but she was quick to frame it within the collective.
“I'm over the moon. I couldn't have asked for a better game for myself. It's a dream to play in these type of games,” she explained.
“For Leanne [Crichton] to give me the opportunities at such a young age, I'm delighted and I'm just taking it in my stride.”
Her second goal, a stoppage-time equaliser that forced extra time, shifted the emotional axis of the match. Berry revealed the instinctive simplicity behind the decisive touch.
“I didn't think much. I was just about on the goal line, so I knew I just had to get anything on it,” she said, describing her thought process.
“Luckily, I did. There's no feeling that's quite like that, scoring in the 90th minute.”
The late leveller epitomised a Rangers side that refuses to wilt. Berry believes mentality is becoming a defining trait.
“There's a belief in the team right now. And we're really together. We know that we'll fight for each other until the 90th minute,” she said.
“We never give up. Over the past two games, we've shown that we'll go right to the end, and that's what we'll do all season.”
Behind her heroics stood goalkeeper Jenna Fife, whose saves in extra time and the shootout proved decisive. Berry said the squad’s confidence in their keeper was rooted in preparation.
“Jenna was class the whole game and we did penalties in training and she did the exact same as she did out there today,” Berry explained.
“She saved half of them in training. Going into the shootout, we were confident and we all have faith in her.”
Now comes the reward: a cup final against SWPL leaders Glasgow City, a stage Berry says fits the club’s identity.
She said: “I'm a Rangers fan, so I know that the club's all about winning trophies and that's what we'll go out and try to do.”
With players returning and momentum building, Berry senses upward trajectory.
“We're in a good place. We've got people coming back from injuries and we're just going from strength to strength. So hopefully we can continue that for the whole season,” she said.