An Eilidh Adams penalty put the hosts in front at the break in what were testing windy conditions in the capital. The forward had a second spot kick in the latter stages of the match saved by Jenna Fife before the substitute Hardy popped up with a late leveler off the bench as the Gers maintained their unbeaten start to the domestic season heading into the international break.
Head coach Jo Potter named three changes to her side from the team that played out a 1-1 draw with Glasgow City at Ibrox last weekend. There was a welcome boost to the squad with Kirsty Maclean named in the XI for the first time since August 25, whilst there were also starts for Camille Lafaix and Brogan Hay.
Rangers looked to start on the front foot in the capital as they looked to return to winning ways in league action. Liv McLoughlin fresh off her England Under-23s call-up was getting involved early on, a ball through from Kirsty Howat looked to play in the midfielder, but the return pass was just out the reach of the 20-year-old inside the Hibs box.
At the other end, a positive run from Tegan Bowie almost resulted in a promising opening for the hosts, but Kirsty Morrison’s effort lacked the desired power in the box as it was claimed by Jenna Fife.
The Gers continued to probe without threatening the Hibs goal as the game approached the quarter-hour mark. Camille Lafaix on her second start for the club was getting involved and finding herself in promising areas, but the away side were yet to find the cutting edge to make the breakthrough.
After a period in the game with little openings, the hosts had a golden chance to take the lead after Michela McAlonie was brought down inside the penalty area. A free kick was taken quickly and fired in low inside the area, the midfielder got to the ball first and was brought down by Maclean on the stretch. Eilidh Adams stepped up from 12-yards and dispatched the ball into the middle of the net to put Hibs ahead.
In the windy conditions in the capital the Gers looked for a response. The hosts continued to hold firm in their shape before the away side went agonisingly close to an equaliser. Katie Wilkinson picked the ball up on the half turn and tried her luck from inside the area, but her effort came back off the inside of the near post and stayed out.
The pressure continued to mount as again the woodwork denied the Gers from levelling up the match. Kathy Hill strode from defence and found herself 25 yards from goal, she tried her luck on her left foot which came crashing off the upright before staying out with goalkeeper Erin Clachers scrambling across.
The Hibs goalkeeper then managed to salvage the situation as the tricky conditions almost forced a mistake from the shot stopper. Brogan Hay in space looked to pick out once of her teammates with a ball from a central area, it was initially dropped by Clachers who was on the back foot, but she managed to gather at the second attempt under pressure from Kirsty Howat.
The away side went at the break a goal behind as they looked to come out the traps quickly in search of an equaliser. Clear openings remained few and far between for Potter’s side as they continued to dominate possession and be patient to work chances, but the hosts were continuing to hold firm and maintain their advantage.
Frustrations for the visitors continued to grew past the hour-mark as they still trailed in the contest. The theme of the match continued as they were struggling to break the defensive line of hosts who remained defensively sound, with the Gers introducing Rio Hardy into proceedings to try make a difference and turn things in their favour.
Maclean tried her luck from range as she looked to help change the Gers fortunes. The midfielder picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and saw space in front of her, but her left footed shot was claimed by Clachers as it lacked the desired power to trouble the goal.
After a sustained period of few chances it was Hibs who had the opportunity to go further ahead from the penalty spot. Kirsty Morrison was brought down inside the area by Leah Eddie was the referee pointed to the spot. Adams stepped up from the spot but this time Fife was level to it to deny the striker and keep her side in the game.
Just as the hosts looked as though they had claimed all three points the Gers snatched a draw right at the death. A free kick effort taken by Katie Wilkinson was pushed away by Clachers before Rio Hardy was quickest to react to turn the ball into the net.
Potter’s side almost turned the match completely on its head in the final moments. A scramble inside the box saw Kathy Hill keeps things alive before Lafaix was denied from close range, as the game ended all square in the final fixture for the Gers before the international break.
HIBS: Clachers, Leishman, Hunter, Grant, McAlonie, Adams, Doran-Barr (Boyle 69), Bowie (Livingstone 79), Morrison, Reilly, Lawson
SUBS: Schumacher, Christie, Ferguson, McGovern, Taylor
RANGERS: Fife, Docherty, Eddie, Hill, Hay (Rafferty 81), Howat (Hardy 65), McAulay, Lafaix, Maclean, McLoughlin, Wilkinson
SUBS: Esson, Middag, Devlin, Bell, Ross, Austin, McLeary