Hearts Women booked their place in Monday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final draw following a comfortable victory over East Fife at Bayview on Sunday afternoon.
Rachael Johnstone made her Hearts debut in goals, meanwhile Jenna Penman, Erin Rennie and Sade Adamolekun also came into the starting XI with Charlotte Parker-Smith, Addie Handley, Georgia Timms and the cup tied Megan Bell dropping out.
The damage was done in the first 10 minutes as the Jambos flew out the blocks and put their opponents under pressure from the off.
The opening goal arrived inside two minutes. Positive play from Katie Lockwood down the right channel saw the Hearts number 10 reach the byline before crossing for Sade Adamolekun to tap home at the back post.
Just three minutes later, Hearts doubled their lead. This time, Adamolekun turned provider and after controlling Ciara Grant’s corner, she slipped the ball to her left for Emma Brownlie, who curled past Lauren Hamill in the East Fife goal.
The home side just couldn’t live with the Jambos in the early stages and the third goal arrived after just 11 minutes. Katie Lockwood was again at the heart of it, her looping cross went over Hamill and was tapped home once again by Adamolekun at the back post.
It would’ve been easy for the East Fife heads to go down, but to their credit, they stuck to the task and frustrated Hearts for the remainder of the half.
Hamill would’ve anticipated a busy afternoon and she was called upon to deny both Danni Findlay and Brownlie midway through the half.
There was a further sucker punch for the Fifers in the final action of the half as Ciara Grant curled home Hearts’ fourth with an inch-perfect free kick.
Half-time: East Fife 0-4 Hearts
There was no let-up from Hearts in the second half and Adamolekun bagged the match ten minutes after the break.
Arguably Hearts’ best bit of football all game, patient play in and around the hosts’ penalty area and eventually, Brownlie’s cross from the right was tapped home at the back post by Adamolekun.
The home side’s goal was under siege at this point and after Hamill had made another good save to deny Georgia Hunter, Danni Findlay headed home number six, after positive play from Erin Rennie on the right wing.
Olid run the changes at this point as Kate Mooney was introduced for a Hearts debut alongside Olivia Chomczuk, Cailin Michie and Addie Handley.
The latter was involved straight away as she volleyed home Hearts’ seventh, before Rennie got in on the act with the pick of the bunch from 25-yards on 68 minutes.
Mooney bagged her first goal in maroon two minutes later to make it nine after being slipped in down the left-hand side of the box, before Hearts Academy graduate Angel Low was introduced for her Hearts debut.
Hearts were pushing for a tenth and it finally arrived in stoppage time as Rennie bagged her second of the afternoon to round off a professional performance from the Jambos, who progress to Monday’s draw.
East Fife: Hamill, Anderson, Lumsden, Corke, Ballach, Thomson, Skivington ©, Guppy, Kelly, McAdam, Wilson
Subs: Wallace, Burden, Holden, Lowrie, Blyth, Anderson, Walker
Hearts: Johnstone, Penman, Brownlie, Hunter ©, Grant, Rennie, Lockwood, Waldie, Adamolekun, Girasoli, Findlay
Subs: Parker-Smith, Handley, Mooney, Michie, Chomczuk, Low
