RANGERS enjoyed victory in the opening Old Firm clash of the season as goals from Academy graduates Mia McAulay and Eilidh Austin delivered a first derby triumph for Leanne Crichton.
The Gers had to bide their time to find the breakthrough, but when it came it was no more than they merited for an impressive display on both sides of the ball.
McAulay struck first from a Katie Wilkinson cut-back before Eilidh Austin rounded off an excellent afternoon when she met McAulay’s corner at the back post.
Crichton, who remains unbeaten as Head Coach, named four changes to her side from last weekend’s win over Motherwell, handing a debut for Jess Pegram who joined on loan from Brighton earlier this week alongside first starts of the campaign for Kim Shin Ji and Kathy Hill.u
Katie Wilkinson – who certainly hasn’t lacked for goals over the last 12 months – was first to test her luck when she let fly from distance, but Lisa Rodgers in the Celtic goal was never really in any trouble.
The hosts’ best avenue to goal in the opening exchanges appeared to be down the left-hand side as Maria McAneny strode forward and centred dangerously where, fortunately for Rangers, there were no takers in the penalty area.
However, they were grateful to a heroic block from the captain later in the half when McAneny won the foot race on the left-hand side and her low delivery fell invitingly to Morgan Cross at the opposite post whose effort was destined for the bottom corner were it not for the intervention from Nicola Docherty.
Prior to that the visitors had gone close through debutant Pegram when she met Lizzie Arnot’s delivery from a free-kick and prompted Rodgers into a full stretch save.
It was unfortunate, then, that the teenager’s Rangers bow was cut short midway through the opening period due to injury as Eilidh Austin joined Hill at the heart of the defence.
Catching the eye in midfield for the Gers was summer signing Kim Shin Ji who appeared unperturbed by her first Old Firm occasion.
It was the midfielder’s pass which released Arnot into space down the left-hand side, squaring dangerously across goal to Brogan Hay who steered wide from six yards out.
Indeed, the away side were enjoying an extended period of pressure on the stroke of the half-time interval as Arnot looked to put the exclamation point on a Jodi McLeary cross which was flicked into her direction, but he couldn’t quite wrap her left foot around the ball to steer her finish on target.
The half-time whistle perhaps came at the wrong time for the Light Blues who were certainly in the ascendancy, with the opening stanza of the second half one of a cagey nature.
Crichton turned to her substitutes bench just beyond the hour mark for inspiration as Laura Berry and May Cruft entered the fray.
But their introduction succeeded the breakthrough for the Gers as the strong away contingent were brought to their feet by a moment of quality.
Wilkinson was the architect as she picked up the ball in space on the left-hand side, lifting her head at exactly the right moment to tee up McAulay who slammed an unerring finish high into the net and out of reach for Rodgers in the Celtic goal.
It was just rewards for Rangers’ display, and with their tails up they almost doubled their tally immediately when McLeary’s delivery from the right-hand side was met by substitute Berry who was thwarted by an impressive save.
And the points were secured with 11 minutes remaining when Austin wriggled free from a corner and powered McAulay’s delivery emphatically beyond Rodgers to spark scenes of jubilation in the away end in Hamilton.
CELTIC: Rodgers, Walsh, Robertson, Ross (Courter, 76), Gallacher, Streicek (Westin, 59), Clark, Cross, Lawton, Nakao, McAneny
Subs not used: Logan, Gay, Richardson, Duncan, Dawson, McGoldrick
RANGERS: Fife, McLeary, Pegram (Austin, 34), Hill, Docherty, Griffiths (Cruft, 63), Shin Ji, McAulay (Lafaix, 87), Hay, Arnot (Berry, 63), Wilkinson (Connolly-Jackson, 87)
Subs not used: Ivarsdottir (GK)
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