Jo Potter has challenged her Rangers side to cope with the pressure of leading the pack after they dismissed Glasgow City with a 2-0 win at Petershill Park yesterday afternoon.
The reigning SWPL champions struggled to impose themselves on the game with their only chance of note coming in the closing seconds of the game.
By that stage Rio Hardy had netted a first-half penalty and a 94th minute strike to give Potter’s team a 2-0 lead. It rounds off a gruelling few weeks for Leanne Ross’ side who were put out of the Sky Sports Cup at the quarter-final stage to Celtic last weekend while they also failed to make the group stages of the Champions League.
Points have been dropped with two draws and two defeats; the biggest takeaway from that sequence if that City have toiled to beat Rangers or Celtic this term.
Fran Alonso’s side are breathing down the neck of Rangers; their 5-0 win over Hamilton Accies yesterday means they remain within touching distance of Potter’s side.
Despite the suggestion that City could be marooned from the top two, Leanne Ross was reluctant to over-react.
“I don’t think anyone is panicked,” she said. “We always just look at games in isolation and the next one is about going and winning three points.
“There are a number of games left and it will be a long, tough season. I am sure there will be plenty of twists and turns still to come.
“You can’t write anyone off. The league is stronger across the board. We are now behind and you are looking for teams to do you favours but the most important thing is that we take care of our own business.”
Rangers are the team to beat given the nature of their start to the campaign under Potter with the Rangers manager now challenging her side to cope with the pressure of leading the pack.
“It is a different pressure to what they have had but if you want to be winners you have to accept that pressure,” said Potter.
“You have to know how that feels and you have to thrive on that pressure.
“You either take it or you don’t but at this moment we are taking it.
“We are looking good and that was a top performance.
“These are the games that matter so to come away with a convincing win is pleasing.
“Coming into this game with the gap we had created had put us on the frontfoot and it gave us a bit of a buffer.
“The biggest thing for me was to go and stretch the lead because we did not want to take our foot off the gas.
“I am looking at games throughout this season, including Celtic, and we didn’t have too many issues in that one either. So we are getting the gameplan right and the players are putting that into practice."
Elsewhere, Partick Thistle moved back into fourth after an impressive win away to Dundee United while Hibs prevailed in Saturday’s Capital City Cup after a 2-1 win over Hearts.
Aberdeen beat Spartans 2-1 while Montrose and Motherwell drew 1-1.
