Rangers Women continued their defence of the Sky Sports Cup with a 2-1 semi-final victory away to Celtic Women at New Douglas Park on Sunday.
Rio Hardy and Katie Wilkinson powered their team to the win in the second half, keeping Rangers dreams of lifting the trophy for a third successive season alive.
Jo Potter’s outfit will play Hibernian for the silverware in March following their 3-0 win against Aberdeen in Sunday’s other semi-final.
It was a fiery, edgy encounter in Hamilton, reflecting the nature of the rivalry between the two clubs. Penalty claims, stiff challenges, red cards, fast-paced football and a vibrant atmosphere all added to the sense that this fixture remains a fierce derby despite multiple meetings in the SWPL already this term.
In a frantic opening 20 minutes, chances were few and far between. Both sides showed danger in attack but couldn’t quite find the passing combinations needed to unlock the opposition defences.
Celtic’s first real sight of goal came when the in-form Saoirse Noonan found herself free in the box at the end of a slick forward move. However, she had to meet a low cross on the stretch and didn’t have the control on her shot to truly test Vic Esson in the Rangers goal.
The visitors quickly followed up with a chance of their own. Mia McAuley found herself advancing on the Celtic box during a quick breakaway. Katie Wilkinson was in position to shoot at goal from the squared ball, but Caitlin Hayes managed to throw herself in front, blocking the forward’s attempt before clearing.
Fleeting, half-chances followed but, at the interval, there was room for improvement for both sides. Effort and endeavour weren’t in doubt, but quality was lost in a scrappy, physical battle between the teams.
It was Rangers who came flying out of the half-time period. Brogan Hay was on hand from a short corner to whip in a devilish low cross that evaded Kelly Clark. Rio Hardy took full advantage, getting in front of Caitlin Hayes to punish the slack Celtic defending and prod it home.
The visitors doubled their advantage just three minutes later. Celtic goalkeeper Chloe Logan was outfoxed by Wilkinson’s outstanding lofted, curled free kick from a full 20 yards, sparking wild celebration in the Rangers camp.
Controversy was littered throughout the 90 minutes. From Celtic penalty claims to a red card for Rangers head coach Jo Potter, referee Abbie Hendry had her hands full keeping a lid on the bubbling tension.
Mathilde Carsten was bodychecked off the ball shortly after Rangers’ second, with screams for a penalty which were denied. Potter, meanwhile, was sent to the stands following attempts to deny Emma Lawton getting the ball quickly back into play.
Celtic enjoyed the majority of possession and territory in their quest to get back into the game and their hard work did pay off with a goal in the first minute of stoppage time. Lawton fired the ball home from substitute Murphy Agnew’s quality cross to ensure an exciting end to the cup tie.
However, Rangers held firm to book their place in the final.
The big frustration for Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku, vocal throughout, is that her side never consistently tested Esson in the Rangers goal with just two shots on target.
This was Celtic’s second home defeat to Rangers this season. Currently languishing fifth in a five-team fight for the SWPL 1 league title, albeit with a game in hand, they have a lot of work to do to get a busy season back on track domestically, following a brutal schedule that included the Women’s Champions League group stage.
Potter and Rangers, meanwhile, will be delighted to compete in yet another final following success in the Sky Sports Cup and Scottish Cup last term.
Despite all of the talk of clubs moving to England over the last week, the second half of the season in Scottish women’s football is shaping up to be engrossing and dramatic, as always. Sunday provided more evidence of that.
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