In a captivating Old Firm derby, Celtic and Rangers delivered an unforgettable spectacle filled with drama, tension, and controversy.
The Scottish Women's Premier League match, held at New Douglas Park in Hamilton, saw the two fierce rivals battle it out in a game that truly had it all.
Rangers struck first, taking the lead just four minutes into the match thanks to a well-placed strike from Rio Hardy.
The early goal set the tone for an intense encounter, but Celtic responded valiantly, with Caitlin Hayes finding the equaliser just before half-time, ensuring the teams went into the break level at 1-1.
However, the second half escalated quickly into a whirlwind of emotions. Rangers regained the lead in the 62nd minute when they were awarded a penalty after referee Jamie Wilkie ruled that Shannon McGregor had fouled Charlie Devlin in the box.
Read more:
- Anthony Ralston relishes Scotland duty: 'Every cap is an honour'
- Celtic must hold out for O'Riley level transfer fee if Kuhn bid arises
Katie Wilkinson confidently converted the penalty, sending the Rangers fans into a frenzy.
Yet, the decision to award the spot-kick sparked immediate controversy. Replays indicated that the contact between McGregor and Devlin was minimal, leading commentator Gemma Fay - an ex-Scotland internationalist - to suggest that the foul could have just as easily been called the other way.
This contentious moment left Celtic manager Elena Sadiku seething with anger, and her frustration soon boiled over.
The Celtic gaffer was shown red for sarcastically applauding the referee after making the decision. At first she was handed a yellow because of her furious blast on the touchline. But as the man in the middle turned away, she continued to vent her anger. Something that was picked up by the assistant referee and immediately punished.
Celtic responded by levelling to make it 2-2 six minute's later through Saoirse Noonan's sublime free-kick.
However, it was Rangers who earned the victory on 78 minutes as Chelsea Cornet pounced on a goalkeeping error to fire home the winner.
The result sees Rangers go four points ahead of their city rivals in the league table.
Sadiku was unable to carry out her post-match media duties because of the dismissal, so assistant manager David Haley spoke to Celtic TV to summarise the 90 minutes.
He said: "It was obviously a difficult one to take. They score a late-ish goal to take the three points but we are a wee bit disappointed with our first half performance. I think that in terms of duels and things, we weren't quite at it. We weren't quite aggressive enough in terms of even being a couple yards forward.
"I think we done that in the second half and we created chances from that. So, to lose the third goal was a tough one to take."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel