Rangers women welcomed Celtic to Ibrox for the second Old Firm match of the SWPL season – having seen off Elena Sadiku’s side 2-0 away in the opening encounter at New Douglas Park back in September.
Off the back of some mixed form which seen Leanne Crichton’s side lose to title rivals Hearts, Glasgow City and champions Hibernian a win for the Light Blues was imperative to reignite their title fight and move upwards from their fifth-place position at the start of the night.
With Brogan Hay, Kathy Hill, Lizzie Arnot and Sarah Evans all-out long-term Crichton had a limited squad to call upon but did welcome back Roma loanee Shin-Ji Kim to the bench.
Celtic kicked us off shooting towards the Copeland Road stand and took the lead after only two minutes with Jenny Smith latching into a loose cutback from Morgan Cross that evaded every backtracking defender and tucking home across Jenna Fife into the corner as the keeper raced across her line.
Mia McAuley nearly responded immediately with a curling shot after a short Quinty Sabajo corner that was spilled by Celtic keeper Lisa Rodgers but no Rangers player was quick enough to capitalise.
Fife, who injured herself coming to punch away cross still managed to make a magnificent save from Saiorse Noonan inside the six-yard area after the Celtic striker was allowed to turn in the box.
The visitors continued to dominate, keeping Rangers pinned in their own half, firing cross after cross on top of Fife without overly threatening for a second despite a few shots over or wide of the Rangers goal.
After a torturous first half hour Rangers finally managed to break forward and after an Eilidh Austin effort ended with a succession of corners the ball broke to Laura Berry at close range, and she fired the ball home before sprinting over and knee sliding in front of the jubilant crowd camped in the Sandy Jardine Stand.
This spurred the Gers on to finish the half as the stronger team but despite efforts from Mia McAuley and Austin the match would be deadlocked at the interval at one goal apiece.
The first big chance of the second half fell to May Cruft, she fired wide from inside the area after Austin’s drilled effort across the goal was blocked off the line but the teenager smashed the rebound with her shin, and it went high and wide.
Rangers would manage to take the lead not long after however, Katie Wilkinson who had spent much of the match isolated up front, latched onto a driven McAuley cross at the near post and managed to flick it past Rodgers to give Rangers a lead that seemed so far away during large periods of the first half.
Berry would come close to her second with a header inside the area after another excellent Austin cross before Jodi McLeary curled an effort wide from the resulting corner.
But it would be Celtic who got the next goal – a deep cross from substitute Momo Nakao ricochet around at the back post before Noonan poked home her side’s second to tie the match once again.
But Rangers would have the last laugh and maintain their excellent unbeaten streak over their rivals when Mia McAuley curled in an excellent sole strike after carrying the ball down the left wing – she cut inside and curled a shot right across Rodgers into the far corner before going off to celebrate right in front of the Celtic section at that end of the stand.
Berry would have the chance to seal it after being played in with a perfectly weighted through ball from Wilkinson but her attempted chip landed on the roof of the net.
Rangers managed the game out superbly afterwards – containing Celtic in the corner and holding on for a valuable three points that relieves pressure on Crichton and her injury hit side.