The 26-year-old added to her first half opener with a brace after the interval, haunting the Edinburgh side once again this term after netting a hat-trick in the emphatic victory over Grant Scott’s side at Ibrox back in October.
It was also a match which marked the return of Kirsty Maclean from her long-term injury absence, with Rangers set to welcome Partick Thistle to Broadwood Stadium on Sunday afternoon with the possibility of lifting their second SWPL title.
The Light Blues began much the brighter of the two sides in the contest, going close through a succession of opportunities inside ten minutes.
It was a sweeping move down the left which caught the home side open, allowing Nicola Docherty to lift her head and aim her delivery in search of Sarah Ewens before the Hibs goalkeeper was able to palm away.
The ball ended up in the vicinity of Liv McLoughlin who returned a ferocious strike that Katlynn Fraine tipped onto the upright with a terrific stop. From the rebound, Rio Hardy worked a half yard of space before fizzing her effort wide of the goal.
Hardy, in particular, looked in the mood in the opening exchanges, breezing past the Hibs defence moments later before drawing a smart stop from Fraine at her near post.
With Kirsty Howat lining up between the midfield and attack, the visitors were looking dangerous in transition as they sought to punish the hosts on turnovers.
A pair of chances went begging either side of the quarter-hour mark as Hardy was denied once again on her unfavoured left side before, minutes later, Mia McAulay laid a neat pass inside to Ewens whose strike was deflected inches wide.
And Rangers’ early endeavour was rewarded on the half-hour mark when a moment of quality from the Gers captain unlocked the Hibs backline.
The home side offered Docherty space on the left side at their peril, with the skipper picking out a pinpoint delivery towards the advancing Howat in the penalty area which allowed the forward to trap the ball and guide a composed finish beyond Fraine.
It was one-way traffic at Meadowbank as Jo Potter’s side sought the all-important second goal, with Hardy threatening the Hibs backline when she latched onto McAulay’s fizzing pass and dragged her effort wide from the edge of the penalty area.
The Light Blues ought to have doubled their advantage on the stroke of the half-time interval as McAulay raced clear of the Hibs defence, but the 17-year-old could only steer her finish straight at the Hibs goalkeeper who did well to stand her ground.
Opportunity knocked for Ewens moments into the second period when the forward, fresh from a call-up to the latest Scotland squad, turned smartly on the edge of the penalty area and arrowed a strike which looked destined for the top corner before it cruelly crashed off the upright.
Hibs had been unable to fashion anything at Esson’s goal throughout the contest until Kirsty Morrison popped up in space minutes later, but her effort flew wide of the Rangers target.
In the meantime, the Gers looked to have doubled their advantage when Hardy pounced on a loose pass out of defence by Abbie Ferguson and rounded the goalkeeper, but her resulting effort was cleared off the line by the backtracking Shona Hunter.
There was a special moment on the hour-mark as Kirsty Maclean, who has been absent through injury since January, made her return to action by replacing Ewens.
And the 19-year-old was only on the pitch less than 60 seconds as Rangers doubled their advantage to give themselves breathing space in the contest.
The tireless Chelsea Cornet was the architect in midfield as the 26-year-old fed a pass inside to Howat who allowed the ball to run across her body and dispatch a powerful finish into the bottom corner via the aid of a deflection.
Rangers had their tails up as a result of the goal, and Howat soon secured the match ball to kill off any lingering hope for the home side when she popped up at close-range and stabbed a finish beyond Fraine.
The only blot on the Rangers copybook arrived late on as the rearguard was breached through goals from Michaela McAlonie and Jorian Nicole Baucom, but it proved too little, too late for the home side as Potter’s side hung on for all three points.
HIBERNIAN: Fraine, Hunter (Murray, 76), Baucom, Eddie (Leishman, 69), McAlonie (Nevin, 76), Notley, Doran-Barr, Bowie (Tweedie, 76), Powell (Ferguson, 49), Morrison, Lawson
Subs not used: Wilson, Erhabor
RANGERS: Esson, Docherty, Hill, Middag, Howat, Hardy (Ross, 60), McAulay (McLeary, 79), Arnot, Ewens (Maclean, 60), Cornet, McLoughlin (Bance, 79)
Subs not used: Fife, McLauchlan, Hay, Austin, Martinez