Celtic 1 Hibs Women 1

Hibernian Women kicked off their post-split campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Celtic at New Douglas Park.

Former Hibee Amy Gallacher opened the scoring after 22 minutes with a neat finish, before Eilidh Adams put her body on the line to flick in an equaliser shortly before half-time.

The two sides could not be separated in the second 45 and had to settle for a point apiece following a physical battle in Hamilton.

Joelle Murray opted to make two changes to the starting XI that defeated Aberdeen last month, as Ciara Grant and Rosie Livingstone replaced Jess Fitzgerald and Kirsty Morrison, respectively. 

Celtic threatened first on nine minutes as Tara O’Hanlon struck towards the near post, though Noa Schumacher was alert to the danger and held well.

Then, successive corners for the home team caused trouble for Hibs. After clearing one delivery, Emma Westin fired at goal but Lauren Doran-Barr was in the right place to block the effort for Schumacher to collect. 

It was a midfield battle for large portions of the first half, as both teams were content flying into tackles while battling resiliently to keep out one anothers forwards.

As we struggled to craft clear-cut chances, Celtic opened the scoring on 22 minutes through Amy Gallacher. The striker has the simplest of finishes from 10 yards after Westin found her with a precise cutback.

After 38 minutes of little attacking threat, from either team despite the host's lead, Hibs would go close through Kathleen McGovern as she headed over from a Tegan Bowie cross delivered from the left flank.

An equaliser followed less than 60 seconds later when a loose ball fell to the feet of Rosie Livingstone, whose low driven strike was flicked into the bottom corner by Eilidh Adams - who took a sore one from her marker - to turn the ball in at point-blank range. 

McGovern nearly gave Hibs a lead that would have seemed unlikely just ten minutes earlier as we neared half-time. The striker was denied one-on-one by Lisa Rodgers after latching onto a Doran-Barr through ball on 42 minutes. 

After we closed out the first half strongly, Celtic would create the first chance of the second half on 51 minutes. A long free-kick delivery by Kelly Clark was caught by the wind, dropping it to Emma Lawton rather than Schumacher, though the latter did well to get down low to deny the former’s acrobatic effort. 

Minutes later, Saoirse Noonan fired a tame effort from range into the arms of Schumacher before McGovern struck into the arms of Rodgers up the other end from the next attack. 

Our number 10 would continue to threaten, heading just over the crossbar from 15 yards on 56 minutes. 

As we crept past the hour mark, Stacey Papadopoulos went close. The full-back combined well with McGovern and Adams in a central position to curl a powerful strike wide of Rodgers’ near-post from 20 yards out. 

Celtic would receive a smattering of warnings and bookings for cynical fouls as Hibs looked to break forward on the counter a number of times, though they would have the next chance as Gallacher fired directly into Schumacher’s hands with an on-the-turn volley on 69 minutes.

Chances, for either side, were few and far between until an awkward ball over the top of the Hibs defence allowed Poppy Pritchard the chance to win it for the hosts on 82 minutes. One-on-one with Schumacher, the striker shot wide under heavy pressure from Scarlett Herron. 

Tiree Burchill and Hannah Jordan were introduced as the game went on, with Burchill keeping Rodgers on her toes with a low strike on 87 minutes - though the goalkeeper was aware of the threat and collected the effort with relative ease. 

A crucial stoppage-time sweep-up from Schumacher denied Pritchard as the Celtic substitute raced through on goal, keeping the score level as the full-time whistle blew.