Rangers Women lost 3-1 away to Celtic this afternoon in their first game back after the mid-season break.
Report: Louise Shaw / Image: Rangers FC
The hosts were 2-0 up at half-time at K-Park before adding a third early in the second half. Gregory Vignal’s Rangers side got one back through Brogan Hay.
Celtic threatened early on when on 7 minutes the ball was played through to Rachel Donaldson but Gers goalkeeper Ramsay was out of her goal quickly to block for a corner.
The resulting corner was by taken by Sarah Ewens and met the head of Claire Crosbie but bounced off the bar and was cleared to safety.
It was a warning for Rangers as their Old Firm rivals took the lead on the 13th minute as a corner swung in by Ewens bounced around the box before landing at Kathleen McGovern who fired low past Ramsay.
The home side doubled their lead half way through the first half as Natalie Ross played the ball to Ewens who rounded the keeper to shoot low into an empty net.
Ewens was denied a second shortly after as she found herself with space in the box again but her low drilled shot was blocked by the feet of Ramsay.
Chelsie Watson had a chance from a set piece for Rangers just at the edge of the box but her curling effort was saved by the Celtic keeper.
Ewens was against causing problems as she broke down the left and made ground into the box but her shot was blocked by Ramsay before bouncing and being cleared off line by Ellis Dalgleish.
In a busy first half for Ramsay the Rangers keeper denied Celtic a third as she stood strong to a Kathleen McGovern shot.
Rangers grew into the game and just before the break a good one-two between Brogan Hay and Chantelle Brown resulted in Brown getting a shot away but it was a comfortable save for the Celtic keeper.
Brown came close again for Rangers on the 44th as she curled her shot just over the bar.
Celtic added a third just five minutes into the second-half as Ewens again provided a dangerous set piece which was headed home by their captain Kelly Clark.
Rangers had a goal back on the 53rd minute after good work from Hannah Coakley down the left before she found Chantelle Brown in the box.
Brown’s shot was parried away by the keeper but Brogan Hay caught the rebound to get the Gers on the scoresheet.
Hay almost had a second a few minutes later as she found space on the right and attempted to lift the ball into the net but it was pushed away by the keeper
Rangers came close again as captain Clare Gemmell fired in a dangerous cross which evaded the Celtic defender landed at Rosie Mcquillan but she couldn’t get the crucial touch to divert it towards goal.
Celtic thought they had a fourth as Rachel Donaldson fired in a cross which was tapped in by Kathleen McGovern but the flag was up.
Rangers: Ramsay, Inglis (Macdonald 58), Watson, Dalgliesh, Coackley, O’Hara, Gemmell, Napier (McCartney, 64), Brown, Robertson (Cameron, 60), Hay (Mcquillan 60). Subs: Campbell, Honeyman.
