Rangers beat Celtic to keep SWPL title heat on Hibs as Jo Potter tells chasers to 'step it up'

Daily Record

11-05-2025

The capital club held Glasgow City to a 2-2 draw at Meadowbank to preserve their three point lead with two games to go
Hibs moved closer to their first SWPL in 18 years after holding Glasgow City to a point at Meadowbank.
The 2-2 draw means they have preserved their three point lead with just two games to go.
‌
A win over Celtic on Wednesday night would see the put a massive hand on the title - although they could still have to go to Ibrox on the final day of the season needing a point or better given that Rangers have the better goal difference.
‌
Kimberley Smit had got City off to a flier at Meadowbank when she headed in from Hayley Lauder's corner before Eilidh Adams headed Hibs level from a free-kick.
Kathleen McGovern put Hibs in front before the break before Nicole Kozlova levelled for City.
Leanne Ross' side threw everything at it in the frantic final stage but Hibs stood firm.
And Scott has insisted that they are ready to do everything that it takes to get over the line.
They host Celtic now on Wednesday night before having to go to Ibrox on the final day of the season.
And he is wary of his side getting too giddy at their current position.
‌
'We are still at the top,' he said. 'We are still in there and we could have a really positive moment but it could all be taken away for us.
'We are going to keep fighting. One game at a time and we need to keep doing the basics really well.'
And he accepted that his side had to show a gritty side to their game to come away with something.
‌
'It was a battle,' he said. 'In fairness to Glasgow City they probably played the more attractive football and we had to dig in.
'We are disappointed with the way that we played but to see that courage and hunger from the players to see the game out level and not concede when City were throwing everything at it, they deserve immense credit for that.
'We need the same again this week.
‌
'It is nice to play home and we have a good record here this season but we need to be ready for it.'
The draw in Edinburgh enabled Rangers to make up ground. They move into second, ahead of City on goal difference, with Jo Potter applauding the mentality of her side who went into the game knowing that points had been dropped by the top two in the capital.
‌
Kirsty Howat netted the only goal of the game to give them all three points against a Celtic side who have gone through the entire campaign without a win over the Ibrox side.
'It was a big day for us,' said Potter. 'The result beforehand can put a bit of pressure on and you have to stand up to that and show what you are made of.
'We knew we couldn't afford to slip up again so it was a big three points and it was also a really good performance.
‌
'The players stepped up. You can see in the level of performance and the control we had that we have kicked on again. There was a confidence there.
'We are in a good spot. We just need to continue.
'There are two big games to go and we need to step it up again.
‌
'We can't look to the Hibs game right now. We need to do our business on Wednesday. There is no time to slip up. We need to be bang on it against Hearts now this week.'
City manager Ross could not hide her frustration at the performance but insisted that City need to pick themselves up for Wednesday's game against Motherwell.
'It was a poor first-half from us and that has cost us at the end of the day,' she said. 'It is out of our hands now but we need to keep doing our job.
'There are six points left to play for and we need to make sure we are taking them.'
Hearts put six goals past Motherwell, who are yet to pick up a point after the league split.
In the lower half of the table, Montrose's survival hopes were given another boost with a 1-0 victory at Partick Thistle while Spartans beat already-relegated Queen's Park 2-0. Aberdeen thrashed Dundee United 5-0 to move top of the bottom six.