The Light Blues were left rueing their profligacy infront of goal as they passed up a number of chances, with the home side striking the decisive blow midway through the second half.
The Light Blues were quick out of the traps as they hunted an early goal in the capital, going close through Mia McAulay, restored to the starting lineup this evening, when the 17-year-old fired over from the second phase of a corner.
Four minutes later and the Gers were engineering more promise as a quickly-taken corner afforded Brogan Hay with the time and space to arrow an effort from the edge of the penalty area off the upright.
It was one-way traffic at the Oriam as Potter’s side almost broke the deadlock on 25 minutes. Rachel Rowe was at the heart of the action on this occasion as she curled a dangerous effort towards goal that forced Rachael Johnstone to be at full stretch to tip the midfielder’s strike around the far post.
Opportunity beckoned for Rowe once again moments later when the visitors regained possession in the attacking third, although the Welsh international could only steer her left-footed effort straight down the throat of the Hearts goalkeeper.
Indeed, all that was missing from the Gers’ first half showing was the reward of a goal, with Kirsty Howat, making her first start this calendar year following a lengthy injury lay-off, combining smartly and arrowing an effort on target which briefly worried Johnstone.
The Light Blues ought to have taken the lead nine minutes prior to the interval. Johnstone was caught short with her pass out as Rio Hardy pounced, but the forward could only drag her subsequent finish wide of the target with the goal at her mercy.
Potter would have wanted more of the same from her players in the second half, in the hope they would eventually get their rewards, and they were inches away from opening the scoring less than 60 seconds after the restart when substitute Lizzie Arnot latched onto Brogan Hay’s low cross but was denied by a last-ditch block from close-range.
Howat then thought she had broken the deadlock five minutes when Nicola Docherty dug out a cross from the left byline, but the forward dragged her left-footed finish wide of the far post.
Hearts had been limited to very little from an attacking perspective in the contest, although they briefly threatened the Rangers goal as Emma Brownlie found herself in an advanced position from full-back and curled an effort wide of Jenna Fife’s goal.
The hour-mark prompted a triple substitution from the Gers as Potter turned to Sarah Ewens, Jane Ross and Libby Bance to find the moment of magic to unlock the Hearts rearguard.
Rangers were then made to pay for their profligacy on 65 minutes as Hearts broke the deadlock. From a seemingly innocuous floated free-kick into the visitors’ penalty area, the Light Blues failed to clear their lines which allowed Katie Lockwood to steal in and stab a finish past Fife.
It left the Gers with it all to do in the remaining 25 minutes, with the home side penned into their own defensive third as they looked to protect their slender advantage.
The Light Blues continued to attack down the flanks through the dynamic Brogan Hay and Arnot, yet Hearts stood tall in the midst of the Gers pressure.
Docherty would have the chance to level with seconds remaining of normal time, but the Gers captain spooned her effort over the crossbar to condemn Potter’s side to only their second defeat in all competitions this season.
HEARTS: Johnstone, Brownlie, Hunter, Grant, Forsyth, Timms, Lockwood, Waldie, Adamolekun (Findlay, 67), Girasoli, J. Husband (Handley, 75)
Subs not used: Parker-Smith, Penman, Rennie, Mooney, McGinley, Michie, E. Husband
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Hill, Middag, Hay, Rowe, Howat (Ross, 60), Hardy (Ewens, 60), McAulay (Arnot, 45), Cornet (Bance, 60), McLoughlin
Subs not used: Esson, Austin, McLeary