Taking just 10 footballers onto the field, the Rangers were dealt another blow when Victoria Vella went down with a bad foot injury in the first half and was taken to hospital.

But somehow they found a way to rise above adversity, defeating Forest 4-1 at Jones Oval.

Captain Raya Rantall praised her team’s efforts given how drastically they had to adjust their game.

“For 75 per cent of the game we just played with nine players,” she said.

“Vicky really hurt her foot … she had to go and get X-rays. So the rest of us played really well (to still get the win) – there were people playing in positions they haven’t been before, and because there were a few missing, we couldn’t play as wide as we normally would.”

Rantall said there had been some nervous moments as the Rangers contemplated what being two players down meant.

They held a 2-nil lead at the time of the injury and, despite adopting a more defensive approach, they still scored a further two goals and held off Forest’s attacks.

Shkara Rantall scored three of the Rangers’ goals, moving from her usual position in the midfield to attack, while Isobel Stewart also goaled.

The Rangers’ men’s team posted their first win in a month, bouncing back in a big way to beat ladder leader Forest 2-1.

Michael Loughhead scored both goals for the Rangers in the first half.