SWPL: Glasgow City, Celtic and Hibernian all post big wins

Kirsty Howat celebrates as Glasgow City defeat Rangers 4-0 at the Hummel Training Centre

Glasgow City and Hibernian warmed up for their midweek Champions League ties with 4-0 wins in the Scottish Womens Premier League.

Champions City took a step closer to their 13th consecutive title with a comfortable win away to Rangers.

Hibs were level with Spartans at half-time, but a brace from Siobhan Hunter and goals from Rachael Boyle and Lauren Davidson gave them the win.

Celtic hammered Forfar Farmington 7-0, while Motherwell beat Stirling 2-1.

City's win keeps up their 100% record in the league this season, with the only blot on their record a penalty shoot-out loss in the SWPL Cup final to Hibernian in May.

Since the second half of the season began last month, the champions have defeated Hibernian, Celtic and now Rangers, as well as posting an astonishing 36 goals in two Scottish Cup ties.

They travel to Moscow on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League last 32 clash with FC Chertanovo, while Hibs host Slavia Prague at Easter Road in the same competition.

"We wanted to get a good result and a good performance before going away to Russia and I think we did just that," City midfielder Rachel McLauchlan told BBC Scotland.

"To have started the second half of the league so well has set us up to come into the Champions League in full swing really. We couldn't have asked for it to go any better."

Rangers ambition seals Brownlie switch

The ambition of Rangers Women is what has driven former Hibs defender Emma Brownlie to join the club, she says.

Head coach Gregory Vignal has made a trio of new signings, with French pair Daina Bourma and Lisa Martinez also arriving until January.

Brownlie, 26, had spells at Hibernian and Celtic before moving to Everton.

"What they're putting into women's football and the ambition and where they want to go is exciting," Brownlie told Rangers TV.

Left-back Martinez, 19, who joins from Montpellier, was part of the French Under-19 side that won the Women's Under-19 European Championships in Scotland in July.

Bourma, also 19, was a free agent having previously played for Montpellier and Lyon.

Both French girls made their debut as Rangers lost 4-0 at home to Glasgow City, while Vignal revealed Brownlie will make her debut next week in their Scottish Cup quarter-final tie away to Aberdeen.

"They will improve the squad, but it will take time," he said. "Daina needs to get fitter. Emma will play next week and she'll give me something on the right hand side, she's a really good player."

Meanwhile, Hibernian have confirmed the departure of midfielder Kirsten Reilly, with her next destination still to be revealed.

"Being a lifelong Hibee made my decision even harder but I'm excited for my next challenge," she told the Hibernian website.

'Enjoyable' top of the table clash

The battle for the one promotion place from SWPL 2 continues to go down to the wire after second-place Hearts twice fought back from behind to draw 2-2 with leaders Hamilton Academical.

Accies lead on goal difference, while both are three points ahead of nearest challengers Glasgow Girls after their 2-0 win over Partick Thistle, but the top two have both played a game less.

"Both teams really went for it," said Hamilton head coach Gary Doctor. "Both sets of players just put everything into it. It was really enjoyable at times. We were tested but you want to be tested and our players responded."

Hutchison Vale scored just their second and third goals of the season, but they still fell to a 7-2 loss to Kilmarnock, while Dundee United beat St Johnstone 3-2.