Celtic Women win their first SWPL title with late goal

Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Women's Premier League
Celtic lift the SWPL champions trophy. (Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie/SWPL)

Celtic are ScottishPower Women’s Premier League champions on goal-difference after a 90th-minute breakthrough against Hibernian.

SWPL 1

Rangers 4-0 Partick Thistle
Celtic 1-0 Hibernian
Glasgow City 2-0 Hearts
Dundee United 0-1 Motherwell
Hamilton Academical 0-3 Montrose
Spartans 2-1 Aberdeen

Celtic began the day with an advantage of 16 in goal-difference on their title rivals Rangers, who upped the pressure with an early Kirsty Howat goal against Partick Thistle.

Hibernian’s Jorian Baucom gave Celtic a fright when rattling the crossbar, likewise Kirsty Morrison who forced a fine tip-over by Kelsey Daugherty.

Tessel Middag then scored Rangers’ second, while Celtic were thwarted by the bar as Murphy Agnew went close to a crucial breakthrough during a frantic spell in front of goal.

Howat netted her second of the day for Rangers and back at Celtic Park, Hibs goalkeeper Katie Fraine turned a Natasha Flint shot over the top.

Rangers went four up through Olivia McLoughlin, time was running out for Celtic as they continued to struggle to create chances.

Then in the 90th minute, Amy Gallacher skipped past a couple of defenders to slot home for Celtic and clinch them the title in dramatic circumstances.

Glasgow City beat Hearts 2-0, Carlee Giammona and Charlotte Wardlaw both netting in the first six minutes.

Spartans overcame a half-time deficit to defeat Aberdeen, Hannah Stewart’s strike for the Dons replied to by Simone McMahon and Mya Bates.

Montrose were 3-0 winners at Hamilton, with all the goals in the first half, sending the Accies down as last-placed side.

Motherwell got the only goal of the game through Louisa Boyes at Dundee United, who will now meet Kilmarnock/Livingston on Thursday 23 May to defend their top-flight status against the SWPL 2 runners-up.

SWPL 2

Boroughmuir Thistle 0-0 Kilmarnock
Gartcairn 5-0 Stirling University
Livingston 2-3 Queen’s Park
St Johnstone 3-4 Glasgow Women

Kilmarnock’s 0-0 draw at Boroughmuir Thistle was enough to see them take the runners-up spot and a crack at promotion via a play-off.

Livingston had been two up against champions Queen’s Park but the Spiders fought back for a 3-2 victory.

Gartcairn put five past Stirling University. St Johnstone battled back from 3-1 down to Glasgow Women before losing out to a Jenna Woods effort in the seven-goal thriller.

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