The striker was on hand to score the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win, with the Light Blues putting themselves right back in amongst the title picture as a result.
The Gers knew the destiny of the league trophy took a swing in their favour prior to kick off in Hamilton. League leaders Hibs and second place Glasgow City played out a 2-2 draw earlier in the day which meant the fate of the Light Blues lay in their own hands with having vastly superior goal difference to those above them.
Looking to take confidence and momentum from their clash seven days prior, head coach Jo Potter named four changes to that side that were 6-0 winners over Motherwell with Tessel Middag, Jodi McLeary, Brogan Hay and Rio Hardy all coming in from the off.
The hosts looked to start bright and had series of free kicks in their early sights of goal. A left footed delivery from Lucy Ashworth-Clifford broke out for Amy Gallacher, but her header landed on the roof of the net with Jenna Fife seeing it over the bar.
Moments later there was action at both ends. Emma Lawton got on the end of the next wide free kick which was comfortably claimed by the goalkeeper. At the other end, the Celtic full-back was involved again as she brought down Kirsty Howat inside the area, but the referee saw nothing wrong with the challenge.
The Gers had their first sight of goal with the opportunity falling for winger Brogan Hay. Midfielder Chelsea Cornet won it high as she fed Katie Wilkinson, she acknowledged Hay to her left with the striker cutting in and having a shot at goal, but it was straight at goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty.
Shortly afterwards the Gers took a deserved lead and it was yet another derby goal for Kirsty Howat. A long ball out of defence from Tessel Middag was latched onto by the striker after hesitation in the Celtic backline, she took it round the onrushing goalkeeper and despite Lawton’s best efforts on the cover to prevent her scoring, she rolled the ball into the empty net to put the Gers ahead.
The Gers seemed to take a renewed confidence from going ahead and it was Hay who had another sight of goal. She won it high and combined with goalscorer Howat, she returned the favour but again her shot was straight down the throat of the Celtic shot stopper, with the hosts only real sight of goal coming via set pieces.
Celtic did have their first real opening from open play and it was Jennifer Smith with an opening to level up proceedings. A long ball saw her get the break of it on Nicola Docherty, but she dragged her shot well wide of the post from the edge of the area.
The Gers then head two further openings before the break to double their advantage as they really pressed for a second. Firstly, Howat got the benefit of her side winning the ball high as she tried her luck to try catch Daugherty out at her near post.
In the last of the first half action, Docherty almost got her first goal of the season as her effort flashed wide. Initially, Rio Hardy who popped up on the left flank saw her shot deflect into the path of her captain, she met it on the half volley but it evaded everyone and it went past the post as the Gers had to settle just for the goal advantage at the break despite fully controlling the contest.
After the restart, Celtic looked for a fast start in response. Much like the theme of the game, they had a series of corners come to no avail in succession but did look a lot brighter and more imposed on the game.
The home side had their best moment of the match minutes later as Saoirse Noonan almost pounced on a lapse in concentration in the Rangers backline. Ashworth-Clifford carried the ball down the left before Nic Doc could only half clear, the forward was first to react as her effort was heading for the far corner but for a fantastic Jenna Fife save to deny her.
The game did go a bit flat from there on in with several injuries and stoppages. After that period passed, Rangers looked to capitalise and take the ascendancy as Katie Wilkinson took the ball well on the half turn. She tried to feed Howat before it broke for McLeary, she dug the ball out with a cross to the back post, but Hay’s header flew over the top of the bar.
A free kick chance was Rangers’ next opportunity. The dead ball was taken short as Hay laid it off to Kirsty Maclean, but her left footed effort flashed just wide of the target, before Howat was then denied a second at the near post by Daugherty as the away side looked to go further ahead.
There was another Noonan chance at the other end as Celtic tried to get themselves back in the game. She homed in on goal from a central area but the Rangers defenders did well to close out the angle as she fired the effort over the top of the crossbar.
The Gers looked to make the most of some positive play in the final third as they almost doubled their lead. In their best effort of the second half, they patiently worked the ball across the box to Maclean, whose left footed effort was well turned round the post by the Celtic shot stopper.
Brogan Hay should have wrapped up the game towards the end with a chance inside the area which she fired over whilst Howat did the same with a free kick right on the edge of the area. The Light Blues then managed the game well towards the end to claim a massive three points in the SWPL title race heading into in the penultimate fixture of the season away to Hearts on Wednesday evening.
CELTIC: Daugherty, Barclais, Gallacher (Harrison, 82), Smith, Agnew (Loferski, 71), Clark (Carstens, 88), Noonan, Ashworth-Clifford (Cross, 71) Lawton, Nakao (Cavanagh, 82), McAneny
SUBS: Rodgers, Costa, Dawson
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Rafferty, Middag, Hay (Lafaix, 90+1), Howat (Berry 90+2), Hardy (Ross, 88), Cornet, Maclean, McLeary, Wilkinson (McAulay, 82)
SUBS: Esson, Arnot, Cruft