Hearts Women fell to a 1-0 loss against Rangers Women at Broadwood Stadium on Sunday afternoon. A first half goal from Katie Wilkinson was enough to secure three points for the home side and hand Hearts their first defeat since September.
Andy Thomson made four changes from his team that comfortably dealt with Boroughmuir Thistle in the Sky Sports Cup Quarter Final last Friday night. Rachael Johnstone made her return from injury between the sticks, replacing Emma Thomson. Jenny Smith, Keri Halliday and Toni Campbell also dropped out of the starting eleven to be replaced by Jess Husband, Monica Forsyth and Kayla Jardine.
Hearts came out of the traps quickly and fashioned a dangerous chance after only two minutes. Mariana Speckmaier drove into the Rangers box and hung a dangerous cross up towards the back post, but the Venezuelan was unable to pick out any of the silver shirts waiting in the danger zone, and Rangers cleared their lines shortly afterwards. Speckmaier then found the feet of Kayla Jardine who was next to try her luck, but the 21 year old's effort from distance was wayward.
The game was evenly matched in the opening exchanges, with both sides looking tidy in possession and seeking a breakthrough. Rangers then ramped up the pressure, with the returning Rachael Johnstone having to beat away a threatening ball into the Hearts box from Calliste Brookshire.
After twenty four minutes, Rangers got their go-ahead goal through Katie Wilkinson. Finding herself with space and time in the box, the English forward slotted home from close range to net her twelfth SWPL goal in eleven games. May Cruft then had two chances of her own to increase the Rangers advantage, sending one effort over the crossbar from distance before seeing another attempt saved by the excellent Johnstone. After a promising start, Hearts were not at the races for large spells of the first half and Rangers were able to dictate most of the play before referee Ross Birrell blew the half time whistle.
Hearts rallied at half time and came out with a renewed sense of confidence. Jardine was the first woman in silver to test the Gers' defence, lashing a volley goalwards with plenty of venom that was blocked by a blue shirt. Brookshire, who was still looking like one of the main attacking threats for Rangers, forced Johnstone into her first save of the half after forty nine minutes.
Rangers could scarcely believe that they failed to extend their lead in the second half, and it was Rachael Johnstone who came to the rescue on multiple occasions for Hearts. Both Calliste Brookshire and Jodi McLeary looked for all the world that they were going to burst the net, but the returning Johnstone was not to be beaten again, pulling off a series of acrobatic stops to keep her team in the game.
Maddie Fulton came close to scoring the equaliser for Hearts on sixty seven minutes. Lauren Wade's delicate delivery fell to the Hearts midfielder who fired over the crossbar. Mariana Speckmaier was then left wondering how she didn't level the game with just over ten minutes to play. Looking up and spying Rangers goalkeeper Shu Oba off her line, Speckmaier let fly with an audacious effort from the edge of the box, which looked certain to end up in the net. However, the Japanese shot stopper breathed a huge sigh of relief as Hearts' number nine failed to convert. Speckmaier then attempted to get on the end of a deep cross from Carly Johns, but was unable to steer the ball home.
Erin Rennie and Lucy Jane Hope were summoned from the bench as time kept ticking on, but despite a valiant effort, Hearts were left empty handed in Cumbernauld.
