In a back-and-forth contest where both sides enjoyed spells of superiority, neither team were able to find a breakthrough and take home all three points.
The draw leaves both sides level on points at the summit of the SWPL table with three games remaining.
It was a cagey opening in Cumbernauld as both teams, aware of the significance of a result either way, eased their way into proceedings.
The first dangerous moment of the contest arrived on 14 minutes and it belonged to Rangers when Rachel Rowe pounced on a loose pass from Natalie Ross, exchanged passes with Mia McAulay, before the Welsh midfielder’s delivery was deflected into the grateful arms of the Celtic goalkeeper.
The Light Blues were enjoying the lion’s share of the ball and they were bemoaning their misfortune four minutes later when Eilidh Austin, coming into the side in place of Rachel McLauchlan, strode forward unopposed and lasered a thunderous effort which cannoned off the crossbar from 30 yards out.
Although it had been all Rangers in the opening quarter of an hour, they were served a reminder of Celtic’s attacking threat when Ross lofted a perfectly-weighted ball through to Natasha Flint who scooped her effort over the crossbar from distance.
The movement of the Celtic forward beyond the Gers defence ought to have been an early concern for Jo Potter as she was inches away from opening the scoring for the away side on the half-hour mark when she sprung the offside trap and dragged her finish wide from 12 yards out.
Rangers, however, were certainly not short of an offensive threat of their own and they threatened the visitors’ goal moments later when Liv McLoughlin stole possession on the halfway line and fed Kirsty Howat. The forward was held up by the backtracking Celtic defence, although she was able to lay the ball into the supporting Lizzie Arnot who arrowed her curling effort off target from range.
The second half began at a helter-skelter pace, with the first shot in anger belonging to the away side when Flint’s strike from the edge of the penalty area deflected off Austin and into the grateful arms of Esson.
A driven cross from Chelsea Cornet from the corner of the penalty area then almost caught Celtic on the hop, although there were no takers in royal blue when Kelsey Daugherty spilled the midfielder’s delivery.
Rangers were indebted to their own goalkeeper just shy of the hour-mark when the dangerous Flint timed her run to perfect down the inside-left channel, pulling the trigger on a ferocious half-volley that looked destined to sail into the far corner before the intervention of Esson.
A dangerous Rachel Rowe free-kick delivery was met on the head by Tessel Middag moments later, but the Dutch defender could only spoon her header onto the roof of the net.
Potter turned to her substitutes bench with 20 minutes remaining when Brogan Hay replaced the PFA Scotland Player of the Year, Rowe, with Mia McAulay subsequently moving into the No.10 role.
Rangers were finding it difficult to progress the ball through Celtic’s pressure and it was a sign of the shifting momentum that McLoughlin’s cross-cum-shot from a central area which drifted into the arms of Daugherty could have been classed as a chance for the hosts.
And yet the Light Blues were inches away from snatching victory in the last minute of regulation time when McAulay picked up possession 30 yards from goal and unleashed a thunderous effort which cannoned off the crossbar.
The final opportunity of the contest fell in the dying embers to Kathy Hill from close range, but the Gers defender was crowded out before she had the space to pull the trigger.
RANGERS: Esson, Docherty, Middag (McLauchlan, 81), Rowe (Hay, 69), Howat (Ross, 81), Hardy (Ewens, 81), McAulay, Arnot, Austin (Austin, 58), Cornet, McLoughlin
Subs not used: Fife, Bance, Martinez, McLeary
CELTIC: Daugherty, Barclais, Ross (Goldie, 89), Craig, Gallacher (Cavanagh, 70), Shen, Agnew, Clark, Hayes, Ashworth-Clifford, Flint
Subs not used: Logan, Cummings, Robertson, Smith, Burchill, McAneny, Addi