Rangers held on to win the Old Firm derby in the Scottish Building Society SWPL 1, Leanne Ross scored her 250th goal for Glasgow City as they swiftly regained top spot after Hibernian’s earlier victory.
Rangers gain ground on Celtic
Celtic went ahead through Natalie Ross but Rangers were level on 18 minutes when Lauren Gallon headed home a Hayley Sinclair delivery.
Sinclair scored herself from just outside the box on the half hour and both sides passed up good chances before the break, Celtic’s Josephine Giard dragging a shot wide and Jade Gallon intercepting a back pass but was denied by Hoops’ goalkeeper Kiera Gibson.
Six minutes after the restart the hosts extended their lead, Carla Boyce with a header from a Jade Gallon cross.
Celtic cut the deficit midway through the half when Giard followed up Rachel Donaldson’s shot against the bar, but missed chances to equalise.
Hibs put seven past Spartans
Abi Harrison met a ball over the top to chip the goalkeeper and although Spartans equalised less than a minute later with an individual effort by Ronaigh Douglas, Lizzie Arnot’s corner went straight in to see Hibs back in the lead.
Harrison doubled her tally 4 minutes after the break by heading in Rachel McLauchlan’s cross and then Kirsten Reilly finished after Spartans failed to clear a corner.
Arnott scored twice more for her hat-trick and in-between time Harrison met Emma Brownlie’s corner on the volley to seal her own treble, as Hibs went top on goal-difference for a couple of hours.
Glasgow City sting Stirling
Hayley Lauder and Abbi Grant had City two up in 16 minutes, Nicola Docherty rifling in the third from 30 yards for a 3-0 interval lead.
Donna Paterson made it 4-0 with a bullet header 3 minutes after the restart, Grant then won a penalty which Leanne Ross converted for her 250th City goal in 296 starts.
The reigning champions made it 6-0 in added time, with Grant grabbing her second of the game.
Forfar overcome ‘keeper injury
Less than 60 seconds into the second half, Forfar Farmington’s Robyn Smith nipped in to lob the Hamilton Academical ‘keeper from just inside the box less.
The Accies were level through Katie Rice via a corner and ‘keeper Cheryl Kilcoyne was injured in the process and forced off.
Forfar retook the lead through a Nicola Davidson free kick in the 68th minutes which Megan McCarthy headed home.
Hamilton threatened a very later leveller but the crossbar intervened and Forfar moved within two points of third-placed Celtic.
SWPL 2: Nine-player Motherwell rescue point at Aberdeen
Top-of-the-table Motherwell lost Kerry Montgomery to a second yellow card early in the second half in a mad five-minute spell, that saw the Dons score with a Lynne Robertson header from a corner and ‘Well level through Kirsty McLaughlin – who was also cautioned a second time for the visitors with 14 minutes left.
Second-placed Kilmarnock and Hearts in fifth finished goalless at Rugby Park. Killie’s Clare Docherty was denied by a last-ditch defensive block in the first half and the visitors hit the post after the interval.
St Johnstone were 3-0 winners at Glasgow Girls and rose to third in the division. Ellie May-Cowie was on target after 17 minutes, Hannah Clark netted the second on the hour mark and Rachel Todd added a late penalty.
Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale defeated Central Girls 2-0 to climb to sixth. Nichola Sturrrock struck a spot-kick against the post before Katherine Smart buried a back-post header from a corner to break the deadlock on 56 minutes and Lucy Brown made it two in as many minutes.
