Sport nationRangers Suffer Humiliating Defeat as Celtic Thrive
The Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) has reached its winter break, and what a dramatic conclusion it has been. Rangers Women suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Hibernian, while Celtic Women thrashed Spartans 5-0 to end the year on a high.
Glasgow City, meanwhile, extended their lead at the top of the table with a resounding 7-0 victory over Dundee United. The result means City now have a five-point cushion over their nearest rivals.
“We were professional, and the players had to dig in,” said Glasgow City assistant Leanne Crichton. “The conditions have been tough, but we dealt with that as well as we could. It was about getting the three points and reducing the goal difference.”
Crichton, a former Scotland international, also highlighted the psychological benefits of heading into the winter break at the top of the table.
“Being at Glasgow City historically, we would always rather be at the top of the table and dealing with that pressure,” she said. “But there is nothing won in December. Psychologically for the players, though, it is a good place to be.”
Rangers’ defeat, on the other hand, makes it back-to-back losses for Jo Potter’s side. Kathleen McGovern opened the scoring for Hibernian, and she doubled her tally in the latter stages with a clinical finish.
Substitute Rosie Livingstone added a third goal for Hibs, who are now within two points of Edinburgh rivals Hearts and three behind Rangers.
The defeat raises questions about Rangers’ title ambitions, but Potter will be eager to bounce back after the winter break.
Celtic, meanwhile, ended the year with a resounding 5-0 victory over Spartans. Emma Lawton and Saoirse Noonan both scored braces, while captain Kelly Clark also netted.
“It wasn’t our best performance, but we were dominant and in control,” said Celtic manager Elena Sadiku. “We scored five goals, so it is job done. We created some good chances, so I am happy with the three points.”
Sadiku also highlighted the importance of having different goalscorers, which has been a hallmark of Celtic’s success this season.
“We have different goalscorers, and that is something to highlight because we can score different ways,” she said. “I want us to be unpredictable.”
Celtic’s victory keeps them in fifth spot, but they have two games in hand and are only nine points off league leaders Glasgow City.
Hearts, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw against Motherwell, which keeps Paul Brownlie’s side in the top six.
In other news, Montrose beat Queen’s Park to move four points clear of the Spiders, while Partick Thistle’s game against Aberdeen was called off due to the weather.
As the SWPL takes a break for the winter, teams will be eager to regroup and recharge for the second half of the season. With Glasgow City leading the way, it promises to be an exciting conclusion to the campaign.
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