IT could be the end of an era when SWPL 1 leaders Rangers host Glasgow City at Auchenhowie this afternoon. Unless City win, their 14 seasons of domination will be over and Rangers will be champions for the first time.
The odds, as City and Scotland goalkeeper Lee Alexander acknowledges, are overwhelmingly in the home side's favour. Even if her side get the three points, Rangers will have a second opportunity away to Celtic in the final round of league fixtures next Sunday.
“It's outwith our hands, which is obviously not what we've been used to,” Alexander, who has a personal tally of eight league winners' medals, acknowledged. “Three points and nothing else is what's needed.”
With Leanne Ross, whose achievement of playing in all 14-in-a-row seasons was truly remarkable, now retired and on the coaching staff, only one player from the side which started the run back in 2007-08 is expected to feature today. Unfortunately for City, Jane Ross will be wearing a Rangers jersey.
The two earlier league games between the sides are not in City's favour either. The first, a 1-1 draw at Petershill Park in October, saw Rangers drop their only points of the campaign, but the lasting damage was incurred by City, as captain Jo Love's season was ended by a first half ACL rupture.
The second game, at Auchenhowie in February, was notable for Rangers goalkeeper Jenna Fife being sent off midway through the second half. The home side were 2-0 up at the time but, despite the player disadvantage, managed to increase their lead through Jane Ross before Clare Shine got a late goal back.
The result, and the performance, led to some introspection according to Alexander. “We just weren't good enough and Rangers fully deserved to take these three points,” the goalkeeper said candidly.
“We did a lot of analysis after that game. We had to look at ourselves as players, and as a club. It didn't sit right with a lot of people how we performed. We've definitely moved on from then.”
As well as Alexander, City will need stand-in captain Hayley Lauder and inaugural PFA Scotland women's player-of-the-year Priscila Chinchilla to be at their best today. Lauder has replaced Leanne Ross as the set-piece specialist, while Chinchilla is top scorer with 23 goals and always a potential match winner.
“I wouldn't be surprised in a couple of years time if we see her playing with a top European club,” Alexander, who is City's PFA Scotland rep, said. “She's one of those players who has that natural ability and she'll keep learning.”
Peter Caulfield was head coach when City won their first title in 2004-05, and also at the start of the 14-in-a-row run three seasons later. In addition to Leanne and Jane Ross, the 2006-07 side included current chief executive Laura Montgomery, top scorer Littlejohn, Kat Lindner and Suzanne Lappin.
City rounded off that season with a 5-0 home win against Aberdeen and finished five points ahead of Hibernian. They took 57 points from a possible 60, with the only blemish being a 3-2 loss to their closest rivals.
It is also a massive day in England with the last round of FA WSL fixtures. A Chelsea home win over fourth place Manchester United will give them a third successive title, but Arsenal, who are at sixth place West Ham, are only a point behind.
UKRAINE will, after all, be in a position to complete their World Cup qualifying fixtures. Their next two games, against Scotland and Hungary, will be played in the Polish city of Rzeszow at the end of next month.
It will be an emotional reunion for the Ukrainian players. Prior to the Russian invasion most were with domestic clubs, and in particular the leading two, Zhytolbud-1 and Zhytlobud-2, both of which are based in the heavily bombed city of Kharkiv.
It would appear the squad is now scattered throughout no fewer than 13 different European countries, with the majority at clubs in Turkey, Spain and Hungary. The Ukrainian Association of Football, perhaps understandably, did not respond to a request for confirmation.
Scotland's game at the Stadion Miejski on June 24 offers an opportunity to all but secure a place in the World Cup play-offs. A win would end Ukraine's slim hopes of finishing second in Group B, and effectively – given the remaining fixtures – Hungary's also.
