By the end of what become an engrossing contest at Broadwood, Elena Sadiku walked out with a point and a smile of contentment.
The Swede lamented that her side might have won it – they could have snatched it at the death – yet for sixty odd minutes of this game Sadiku would have been hoarse with the yelling done from the sidelines.
Booked by referee Lewis Hogarth after Rangers were awarded a second-half penalty which Katie Wilkinson converted – ‘I said to him, you are giving them two goals. It was outside of the box and the first goal was offside’ – Sadiku’s side had been cowed and inhibited in a game where Rangers threatened to run riot after Kirsty Howat’s fifth minute opener.
Television replays would have suggested that Sadiku had a point where the opening goal was concerned. Rio Hardy looked to be offside when Howat fizzed a volley through a ruck of players and way beyond the reach of Kelsey Daugherty. But Rangers seemed to be so relentless at that stage of the game it appeared at times that they had an extra body on the pitch.
Celtic’s mainstays like Kelly Clark and Caitlin Hayes were sloppy in possession, gifting possession cheaply in and around their own box as Rangers pressed and harried. Tess Middag had a goal chopped off for offside ten minutes in – this time it was Jo Potter’s turn to be aggrieved as she remonstrated with the fourth official afterwards.
Rangers were in firm control. Celtic toiled to impose themselves with Potter’s team comfortably and assured as they penned Celtic in.
Slowly, Sadiku’s side eased into the game as they began to find their feet towards the closing stages of the opening period.
But by the time that Emma Lawton – excellent throughout – was judged to have used a hand just after the hour mark, and Hogarth pointed to the spot, Rangers looked comfortably on top.
It was to Celtic’s credit that they rallied. Ringing the changes from the bench, Celtic went for it – and got their rewards.
Saoirse Noonan got them back into the game from the spot, with the Irish striker revealing she had to block out a few remarks in the run-up to taking the penalty.
“Some of the Rangers players gave me a lovely few words but I think that just encourages you to put the ball in the back of the net all the more,” she said.
The goal gave Celtic the impetus to have a go. They started to put Rangers under pressure they hadn’t been able to muster for much of what had gone before as they pressed the hosts back.
Natalie Ross fired way after a flurry of chances in the box before Celya Barclais levelled things three minutes from time with an effort that cracked off the post before going in.
Noonan fired over after Lawton had teed her up on the edge of the box as Celtic pushed for a winner.
“99 times out of 100 I hit the target with that,” she lamented.
Sadiku, who celebrated wildly when the leveller went in, was enthused by the resilience shown by her side to negotiate a way out of a game that looked in danger of getting away from them at one stage.
Rangers remain on top of the pile – one point clear of Glasgow City and two clear of Celtic – but having gone into the game with just one goal in the against column they will have been frustrated at the way they allowed Celtic off the hook.
The undermining of Rangers’ title ambitions last season was in part down to a failure to be clinical in games where they were on top. It is a failing that appeared to have been addressed with the addition of Katie Wilkinson and a deluge of goals so far this season.
“Comedy of errors for the first one. We look at it and we go, it’s on us. I never felt like there was a massive threat all game.
“We’re extremely disappointed we didn’t take three points because I thought at one point we were in complete control and looking like taking all three.”
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