First half goals from Katie Wilkinson and May Cruft following a Kirsten Reilly red card had the Gers in control at the break. They threatened to pull further clear in the second period before a Kathleen McGovern goal in stoppage time halved the deficit with the hosts holding on for a vital win before their clash away to Glasgow City next weekend.
Leanne Crichton named two changes to the team that booked their place in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals last weekend. Jess Pegram came into the middle of defence for Lily Boyce, whilst Shin Ji Kim was in the side in place of Quinty Sabajo.
The Gers had the first real moment just two minutes into the contest and it came via a Hibs corner. After the delivery Shin Ji Kim won the ball back inside her own box and immediately spotted the run of Mia McAulay. The winger looked to get the better of Lauren Doran-Barr in a foot race and just as she looked to have edged it, the full-back recovered well to knock it back to allow her goalkeeper to gather.
The first effort of the contest came a few moments later as Eilidh Austin found herself well advanced, but her left footed shot after cutting in flew well over the top in what then went on to be a real cagey period in the game with few chances at either end.
Hibs had a moment themselves as they looked to get themselves into the match. A clipped ball into the area from Rosie Livingstone almost picked out captain Rachael Boyle in the box, but Jenna Fife in the Rangers goal just got their first at the near post to gather.
The game sparked into life thereafter and Rangers thought they had put themselves in front only for Mia McAulay to be denied by the post. For the first time on the day Katie Wilkinson came to life in the box, she initially looked as though she was shaping up for a shot on her right foot, but clipped it to her teammate coming round the back, only for the woodwork to keep her downwards header out.
Thereafter Rangers were handed an advantage as former Ger Kirsten Reilly was dismissed for the visitors just before the half-hour mark. A high challenge on the thigh of Laura Berry saw the Hibs midfielder shown a straight red card and gave the Gers a real lift to get their noses ahead in the game.
Wilkinson went close after a delivery from the left, before McAulay went close once again only for Doran-Barr to make a crucial block as Rangers were really piling on the pressure with the player advantage.
They then made that advantage count as Wilkinson popped up in the right place at the right time as she so often does. Austin picked her out with a clever cross from the right and the top goalscorer expertly finished it across the keeper to put the Light Blues ahead with five minutes until half time.
Just as the away side looked as though they were going to get in at the break just a goal behind, a moment of individual brilliance from May Cruft made it two. She picked it up on the edge of the box, she shaped to shoot on her favored left before moving the ball onto her right foot and dispatching it superbly into the bottom left corner past Noa Schumacher to make it two and give the Gers real breathing space in the game.
The Light Blues looked to start the second half how they ended the first. Berry, who was looking lively down the right was played in by goalscorer Cruft, but the covering Scarlett Herron did well to make the block to keep it at 2-0.
Jodi McLeary had a shot from distance fly over before McAulay’s left footed shot from the angle inside the box was held by Schumacher, as Rangers continuously threatened to pull further ahead and put the game out of sight.
The home side were constantly winning the ball high in the Hibs half and getting joy without punishing the away side and adding a third. Substitute Quinty Sabajo played a lovely pass round the corner which found Berry, but the striker lashed her shot wide having cut inside on her left foot.
Berry then sent one over the top after being played in by Wilkinson as she was cutting a frustrated figure at not getting on the scoresheet. Before then being denied again by the goalkeeper just a minute from normal time having been played in by Austin.
Having mainly controlled the contest throughout there was a late scare for the hosts with 90 seconds remaining as substitute Kathleen McGovern fired in for the away side with Fife unable to keep it out but the hosts hung on for an important three points before their crucial clash with Glasgow City next weekend.
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Pegram (Eddie, 80), Rafferty, McAulay (Brookshire, 66), Austin, Berry, Cruft (Sabajo, 66), McLeary, Wilkinson (Mengwen, 80), Shin Ji
SUBS: Ivarsdottir, Lafaix, Connolly-Jackson, Black, Boyce
HIBS: Schumacher, Herron, Fitzegerald (Morrison, 76), Adams, Notley, Livingstone (McGovern, 76) , Doran-Barr (Grant, 45), Boyle (Papadopoulos, 45), Bowie, Reilly, Ramsay (Jordan, 62)
SUBS: Armitage
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