The English forward struck in the dying embers after Laura Berry was fouled inside the penalty area, keeping her cool from 12 yards to condemn today’s visitors to their first domestic defeat this season.
It was just rewards for the Gers who were in ascendancy in the second period and ran into another inspired showing from Lee Gibson between the City posts, with the victory meaning there is just five points between top spot and fourth in the SPWPL table.
Rangers will certainly reflect on a job well done, but attentions will quickly pivot to next weekend’s Sky Sports Cup final against the same opponents at Fir Park.
Leanne Crichton made four changes to her side from the midweek draw away to Hibernian, among which Kim Shin Ji was restored to the starting lineup.
The midfielder was straight into the action as she looked to unpick the Glasgow City rearguard with a slide rule pass into Mia McAulay, but the pass was slightly overhit in search of the Scotland international.
A short backpass then briefly caused panic inside the visiting ranks as Calliste Brookshire looked set to pounce, although the Greek-American contrived to poke wide of the target as Lee Gibson rushed out from her penalty area.
The lion’s share of the opportunities belonged to the home side, albeit few were of the clear-cut variety, as Laura Rafferty rose highest from a delivery but nodded over under pressure from an orange jersey.
City responded with a piece of danger of their own moments later when Natalia Wrobel slipped through the heart of the Rangers midfield and pulled the trigger at goal, but Leah Eddie was positioned perfectly to block the attacker’s advances.
Brookshire provided the leveller in the league fixture between these two sides at Petershill Park earlier this year, and the winger looked to produce a moment of magic on the half-hour mark when she skipped inside and stung the palms of Gibson from 25 yards out.
Opportunity beckoned for Wilkinson moments later when Camlle Lafaix spun smartly and thread a gorgeous pass through to the middle, but Gibson was swift off her goalline and stuck out a last-ditch leg to thwart the forward.
For all that City spent on the back foot in the opening period they began the second half in the ascendancy when Amy Muir done well to keep the ball in down by the byline and Whelan scooped up possession before curling over the crossbar.
Minutes later, she tried her luck from an identical angle and was forced, again, to watch her effort sail wide of the target.
A clever nutmeg from the dangerous Wrobel left Nicola Docherty in her wake, but fortunately for the hosts her effort was at a comfortable height for Fife.
Still, Rangers were being forced to weather some pressure from the visitors, although they had their best moment since the first-half when Brookshire fashoned space on the left-hand, using Eilidh Austin’s underlapping run as a decoy, before shimmying inside and forcing Gibson into a decent save.
Crichton turned to her substitutes bench on the hour-mark as Berry replaced McAulay in search of an opening goal.
The forward was immediately thrust into the action when she connected with a Brookshire delivery, yet her header was directed into the ground and comfortably smothered by the City goalkeeper.
There was a further roll of dice from Crichton as Brogan Hay and Jodi McLeary entered the fray as Berry moved into a central position and skied an attempt over the top after being teed up by the impressive Cruft.
Indeed, Berry appeared on a mission to find that all-important opener for her side, lashing wide after the ball dropped to her 12 yards out from a tight angle inside the danger area.
Gibson was forced to be at her very best with nine minutes remaining when Wilkinson looked set to break the deadlock with a rasping strike that the City goalkeeper thwarted at full-stretch.
Time looked to be running out on Rangers, but the pivotal moment in the game arrived with two minutes remaining when Berry got a left-footed shot away but was caught on the follow through.
Wilkinson, as she has done so often in her Gers career, assumed spot-kick duties and made no mistake, sending Gibson the wrong way as Rangers left City with the taste of defeat for the first time this domestic campaign.
RANGERS: Fife, Austin (McLeary, 72), Rafferty, Eddie, Docherty, Shin Ji, Cruft, Lafaix (Hay, 72), Brookshire, McAulay (Berry, 60), Wilkinson
Subs not used: Kelly, Pegram, Sabajo, Mengwen, Connolly-Jackson, Black
GLASGOW CITY: Gibson, Warrington (Thomas, 84), Muir, Lauder, Golob, Forrest, Wrobel, Whelan (Harrison, 78), Evans (Maatta, 66), Smit, Motlhalo
Subs not used: Clachers, McLaughlin, Earl, Tanaka, Gray, Boyes
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