Big two win to set up another thrilling end

ALL eyes will be on the capital on Wednesday night with the SWPL offering another thrilling climax as the penultimate round of games takes place.

Celtic are in the driving seat as they look to claim an historic first league title. Their 3- 0 win over Partick Thistle yesterday means they gave their already superior goal difference a boost and they are now 15 goals better off than Rangers.

Jo Potter’s side survived a nervy afternoon in Petershill as they claimed a 1- 0 win over Glasgow City. The reigning champions were spirited in their approach and will feel they deserved something from the game after hitting the woodwork and forcing a couple of excellent saves from Vic Esson.

As it was, though, Rachel McLauchlan’s goal on the cusp of the break was the difference between the teams.

The results yesterday mean two things; Celtic and Rangers are level on points and both will claim the Champions League spots that are up for grabs. Who takes the champions pathway remains to be seen.

The defeat for City also ensures they are condemned to third spot, a sobering position given the domestic dominance they have long enjoyed.

While coach Leanne Ross was satisfied with aspects of their performance, she could not hide her frustration.

“We switched off,” she lamented. “We got sucked in. Rachel has that in her locker but we should never have been losing a goal in those circumstances and from that area of the pitch.”

For Celtic and Rangers it was all about the win at the start of a week that will determine who takes the title.

“It did feel like a huge result,” said Rangers manager Potter, whose side will face Hibs on Wednesday. “Glasgow City make it hard for you, especially on their own ground. It felt like a huge three points but when you are in a title race like this one then every win and every game is massive.

“We can’t afford to look at the goal difference and get distracted by that. We know that it is huge but if we think too much about it then we risk dropping points. All we can do is have a very firm focus on ourselves and what we need to do.

“The only thing that we can control is the way we play and what we do in these final two league games. So it is about recovering now and making sure that we are ready for Wednesday night against a team that we know will have their tails up.”

Goals from Amy Gallacher, Murphy Agnew and Shen Mengyu gave Celtic the points over Thistle.

Coach Elena Sadiku said: “We dominated everything and we pressed really well. Overall it was a good team performance. The most important thing is that we kept pushing. We got the job done and now it is about focusing on the next game [ against Hearts].”

At the bottom of the table, Hamilton and Dundee United remain tied after both suffered defeats. Accies lost 1- 0 to Spartans, while Montrose beat United 2- 1. Motherwell beat Aberdeen 3- 2.