Report: Celtic 1-2 Rangers

It was a three-minute period at the start of the second half which made all the difference for Jo Potter’s side, with a supreme free-kick from Katie Wilkinson adding to Rio Hardy’s opener just moments earlier.

The victory marked a second consecutive Old Firm triumph in all competitions for the Gers and was made even sweeter given it was a year to the day since their triumph over Celtic at the same stage of the competition through in Airdrie.

Rangers will now meet Hibernian in a rematch of the 2022/23 final later this year.

Encounters between these two sides tend to be on the cagey side and it was no different from the outset as the teams looked to cancel each other out in midfield.

Kathy Hill produced an impressive block inside five minutes after Celtic worked the ball at speed down the right-hand side, before Mia McAulay was first to register an attempt at goal when she shimmied inside of Celya Barclais and lifted her effort off target.

The home side responded with a chance of their own seven minutes later when they pinched possession high up the pitch, but Saoirse Noonan’s first-time effort failed to trouble Vic Esson between the posts.

Rangers threatened to break the deadlock on 23 minutes when the lively McAulay advanced on the counter-attack for the visitors, lifting her head at an opportune moment to feed a pass into Katie Wilkinson whose goalbound effort was blocked before it worked the Celtic goalkeeper.

Although the hosts were enjoying periods of sustained possession, the defensive set-up from Rangers was hard to pick holes within as they stood up to the task.

Liv McLoughlin was next to try her luck for the Gers just shy of the half-time interval when she arrowed an admittedly tame effort straight down the throat of the Celtic goalkeeper.

The second half began with Rangers immediately on the attack, drawing a swift corner when Rio Hardy’s speculative effort was deflected wide of the Celtic goal.

And from the ensuing corner the Light Blues duly took advantage.

Brogan Hay was the recipient of the short set-piece, arrowing a dangerous delivery into a congested Celtic penalty area where Hardy pounced with tremendous opportunism to guide the ball into the back of the net from close-range.

Rangers had their tails up as a result of the opener and they quickly doubled their advantage with a moment of supreme quality from Wilkinson, curling an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner from all of 25 yards out.

The home side were offering very little from an attacking perspective given their need to claw their way back into the game; Rangers’ three-player backline of Leah Eddie, Nicola Docherty and Hill holding firm.

With Jo Potter sent to the stands by the referee, assistant Craig McPherson turned to his substitutes bench and introduced Kirsty Howat as Rangers looked to see out the two-goal victory.

The substitute almost made an instant impact when she lashed towards the Celtic goal from the edge of the penalty but just inches wide of the far post.

Howat, again, sprung the offside trap with just minutes remaining as Rangers sought a third of the afternoon, although her resulting effort trickled wide of the Celtic goal.

Celtic restored some hope in stoppage time when Emma Lawton stabbed home from close-range, but it was too little, too late as Rangers sealed their place in the final.

CELTIC: Logan, Barclais, Ross, Gallacher, Carstens, McGregor (Cavanagh, 45), Clark, Cross (Agnew, 76), Hayes, Noonan (Ashworth-Clifford, 76), Lawton

Subs not used: Daugherty, Richardson, Smith, Costa, Munoz, McAneny

RANGERS: Esson, Docherty, Eddie, Hill, Hay (Lafaix, 77), Hardy (Howat, 72), McAulay (McLeary, 87), Arnot, Cornet, McLoughlin, Wilkinson (Ross, 87)

Subs not used: Fife, Rafferty, Middag, Bell

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