In a week where the Gers tasted only their second defeat in all competitions this term, Jo Potter’s side produced the perfect response despite suffering a setback midway through the second half.
Kirsty Howat had opened the scoring for the Gers just shy of the hour-mark, before Thistle levelled when Imogen Longcake pounced on an unfortunate slip from Vic Esson in the Rangers goal.
However, the away side kept their patience and netted twice inside the final ten minutes through Ewens and Rowe, both on as second half substitutes, to seal a priceless victory.
Indeed, the first opportunity of the contest fell the way of Thistle inside four minutes when a neat swivel in midfield from Cara Henderson prompted a run beyond the Rangers defence from Rachel Donaldson, although the resulting effort from the latter was smothered by a smart stop from Vic Esson.
The hosts’ man-marking defensive system was causing the Light Blues aplenty in the opening exchanges, and it took until the 17th minute for Potter’s side to engineer their first real chance at goal when Lizzie Arnot’s whipped free-kick was almost spilled by Ava Easdon in the Thistle goal.
Slowly but surely, Rangers began to tighten their grip on proceedings. A floated corner reached Jodi McLeary at the far post and, when her header back across reached Tessel Middag, the defender controlled impeccably and was denied from close range by a diving stop from Easdon.
Mia McAulay was next to stretch her legs when she advanced down the right-hand side, centring for Rio Hardy but her delivery just evaded the forward who looked poised to stab home from six yards out.
A short corner from the Light Blues on the half-hour mark almost caught Brian Graham’s side on the hop, with Liv McLoughlin’s effort from distance sailing just wide of the far post.
Opportunity then knocked for Chelsea Cornet when the 26-year-old was teed up by Hardy, but the midfielder could not steer her effort on target as she shaped to shoot into the far corner.
Rangers weren’t so much as knocking at the door as battering it off its hinges by the stroke of half-time. Kirsty Howat’s dipping effort from the edge of the penalty area looked destined to squirm under the body of Easdon, but the on-loan Glasgow City goalkeeper got the required contact to push it around the post for a corner.
Thistle were certainly throwing their bodies on the line for the cause, with a last-ditch block denying Howat from close range after Arnot’s goalbound effort from range was thwarted by a superb diving stop from Easdon.
The pressure wasn’t quite as unrelenting from Potter’s side to open the second period, but the breakthrough was eventually yielded just shy of the hour-mark.
With Rangers pushing the hosts deep into their own defensive third, a searching cross from McAulay was cleared only as far as Howat 15 yards from goal who brought the ball under her spell and arrowed an unstoppable effort into the top corner.
It was a poignant moment for the forward as she netted her first goal since returning from a lengthy injury-off, with the relief palpable across all associated with the Light Blues.
However, the Gers’ jubilation was short-lived as the home side levelled, with substitute Imogen Longcake profiting from an untimely slip from goalkeeper Vic Esson on the edge of her penalty area before stroking the ball into an empty net.
The setback seemed to rock Rangers in a match where they had boasted the lion’s share of the ball and the dangerous opportunities.
Nicola Docherty’s effort from 25 yards out almost nestled the Thistle goal when a clearance from the home side landed only as far as the Gers captain.
And the skipper came up trumps for the Light Blues exactly when it was most required as she turned architect for the all-important winner six minutes from time.
There didn’t appear to be much pressure on the Jags when Docherty collected the ball just inside the Thistle half, but a pinpoint delivery in search of substitute Sarah Ewens’ intelligent run caught the home side out and the forward glanced a deft header beyond Easdon.
The points were then wrapped up for the Gers minutes later when Hardy was sent through beyond the Thistle defence before pulling the ball back to Rowe who dispatched beyond Easdon.
PARTICK THISTLE: Easdon, Lawton, Falconer, Docherty, Henderson, Adams (Wright, 77), McAllister (Slater, 81), Donaldson (Hay, 77), Taylor, Anderson (Sinclair, 59), Boyce (Longcake, 59)
Subs not used: Robinson, McQuillan
RANGERS: Esson, Hill, Middag (Docherty, 58), Austin (McLauchlan, 58), McAulay, Cornet, McLoughlin, Arnot (Hay, 67), McLeary (Rowe, 58), Howat (Ewens, 75), Hardy
Subs not used: Fife, Bance, Ross