Scottish Women's Football

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Hibernian head coach Grant Scott: "I think the group of players we've got, we've pushed them to the absolute limit. There's some broken bodies out there and some in the dugout, in the stands.

"I think for us in this kind of modern era of Scottish women's football, that's a massive achievement.

"We'll digest it. We've got a lot of work to do now for the new season and I'm going to demand that these girls look for more. I think it's just the start for us, hopefully.

"There was certainly a point, I think, before December, where we let ourselves down in a couple of games and we kind of felt the external world was almost waiting for us to trip.

"A lot of the players talk about going away to Rangers at Broadwood at the back end of December and having a great performance and a great result as a kind of turning point.

"Personally, I didn't feel it but I thought what it did was it made everyone outside of us as a group take notice a little bit.

"We had to back it up in January when we played Glasgow City and then Celtic and the players did that and that, for me, compounded what I thought we could be.

"But there's no easy games in that post-split, I think our record's good and the players thoroughly deserve their spot at the top now.

"I think what you're seeing now is a Hibs team that has gone through that transformation - a couple of years behind everyone else - and now having had a couple of years almost of full-backing, full-time nature of the players being in the building four or five times a week, all the resources that have been put behind them has given them that platform to compete.

"I think when you get a good group, sometimes it's good choices, sometimes by luck but I think the group have really gelled this season and there's a belief in them and I hope they keep that going."

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Kathleen McGovern says Hibs proved "why we're league winners" with a battling 1-0 performance at Ibrox.

Grant Scott's side headed into the game knowing a draw would be enough to seal their first league title in 18 years but managed to come out with all three points.

Striker McGovern set up defender Linzi Taylor to volley home the only goal of the game on the 74th minute and secure their first SWPL trophy since 2007.

"I'm a bit lost for words," McGovern said.

"This group is special, you've seen it all season. The consistency throughout the group has been phenomenal all season.

"It was good to grind the result out. It was a wee bit nervy at the end of the game but we put bodies on the line, the players that came off the bench, that just shows why we're league winners.

"We took it one game at a time and did our talking indoors. I think a lot of people had us written off by January but we knew what group we had. We kept working hard and you can see that in the performances.

"We had fire in the belly today, we fought for each other and we've had that all season being the underdogs."

The SWPL trophy is heading to Edinburgh, Hibs' 1-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox was enough to secure their first league title in 18 years.

Elsewhere at the top, Glasgow City snuck in to snatch the European spot from Rangers thanks to their win over Hearts. Meanwhile at the bottom, Spartans were relegated following their 2-1 defeat to Partick Thistle.

What have you made of this SWPL season? Were Hibs deserved winners in the end? What are your predictions for next season?

Have your say

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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The shootout between Hibs and Rangers at the top promises a thrilling conclusion to the SWPL season, but the title isn't the only thing at stake on the final day.

Race for second

Although Glasgow City are all but out of the title race because of their inferior goal difference to Rangers, Leanne Ross' side still have a lot to play for.

Second place will clinch a qualifying spot for next season's Women's Champions League and City - level on points with Rangers - are within touching distance.

First of all, Ross' side need to be Hearts at home. With the three points in the bag, they're almost guaranteed second.

That's because if Rangers lose, City will be three points above them in second place. If Rangers and Hibs draw, City will be two points better off than their Glasgow rivals. If Hibs lose, City will finish above the capital club on goal difference.

If City draw, they can only finish second if Rangers lose to Hibs.

Battle at the bottom

Queen's Park and Dundee United are already relegated but with the restructure of the league, there's still another team to go down.

Montrose occupy the third and final relegation place but they're only two points below Spartans heading into the final game.

Montrose host bottom side United while Spartans are at home to the team currently best of the rest, Partick Thistle.

Montrose have overcome United every time they've met this season and the same goes for last season as well.

Spartans, on the other hand, have failed to beat Thistle this term. They eked out a 1-1 draw in December but apart from that, Thistle have come out on top in the other three meetings, including a Scottish Cup tie.

Best of the rest

The spot at the top of the bottom six - the best of the rest position - is still to be decided.

Thistle, who finished the previous two campaigns in the top six, are currently in seventh but they're only two points clear of Aberdeen.

As mentioned, Thistle are travelling to face Spartans who they haven't lost to this term. The Dons are also on the road, at already-relegated Queen's Park.

The only way for Aberdeen to usurp Thistle in seventh is if the Dons win and Brian Graham's side lose. With SWPL survival at stake for Spartans, that's not out of the question.

How to follow on BBC

BBC Alba have live coverage of Glasgow City's game against Hearts which you can watch on the channel, or on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. That one kicks off at 12:00 BST.

There's Sportsound commentary from Rangers v Hibs' title decider, which also gets under way at 12:00 BST.

As usual, you'll be able to follow live text updates from all the games on the BBC Sport website and app.

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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Hibernian manager Grant Scott has been speaking to the media before his side's SWPL title decider against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.

Here are the main points:

• Scott says it's "phenomenal" that it's going to a last day shootout in the SWPL for the third year in a row.

• ⁠The manager insists it would be "huge" for Hibs if they can seal their first SWPL title since 2007.

• ⁠He adds that Hibs have been "flag bearers" in the league for the past couple of decades so says it would be brilliant to be back on top again.

• ⁠Michaela McAlonie and Caley Gibb, who both had to be substited during Wednesday night's win over Celtic, are being assessed day by day and are rated 50/50 for Sunday.

• Scott is treating Sunday as one-off and not referring back to good results in the league against Rangers (two wins and one draw) already this season.

• Grant Scott has a family social event on Saturday, so he hopes that keeps his mind off the nerves for Sunday.

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Rangers manager Jo Potter has been speaking to the media as her side prepare for a must-win title decider against Hibs on Sunday.

Here are the main points:

• Potter is proud of how her players have come through a challenging week and "showed real character" to get to a point where one victory stands between them and the SWPL title.

• Even though Rangers have a Scottish Cup final on the horizon, Potter insists her side are not looking beyond Sunday's game: "We can't take our eye of what's in front of us because we know it can change very quickly."

• Sunday's match will take place at Ibrox instead of their usual home venue of Broadwood, and the boss is hoping the stadium "can be a real advantage", adding: "If that gives us an extra two, three, four, 10%, we want to use it."

• Rangers were 5-0 winners in the SWPL Cup final earlier this season but Potter insists Hibs "will have learned" from that game and "won't want to see that again".

• The decider marks the third year in a row the SWPL title has gone down to the final day and Potter says it's "huge" for the competition - "there's no other league that has this drama".

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta explains the "easy" decision to recall captain Rachel Corsie after injury.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden

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Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta believes Kathleen McGovern is "what Scotland need" after the Australian called up the Hibernian striker to the national team for the first time.

McGovern has 25 goals for the SWPL league leaders this season and has represented Scotland at various youth levels.

At her first news conference as Scotland boss, the Australian said she had taken in Hibs' Edinburgh derby win at Hearts and the forward caught her eye.

"It's a combination of that [what I saw in that game] and just what I would like to do with this team," Andreatta said.

Despite being just 22 years old, McGovern has been on the domestic scene for some time and excelled at city rivals Hearts before joining Hibs in the summer.

After coming through the ranks at Celtic, she spent a season in Germany with SC Sand and built on her fierce finishing and superb strength.

"I think her personality also, what you see on the field and she's a good fit for this team and what we need in this point in time," Andreatta added.

"She's worked really hard for this opportunity and she's deserved it with those performances week in, week out and earned it."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

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Melissa Andreatta addressed the media after naming her first Scotland squad for the Nations League A games against Austria and the Netherlands later this month.

Here are the key things from her news conference:

• The head coach said it was "an easy decision" to recall captain Rachel Corsie, despite the defender not playing for Scotland since July, missing most of the season through injury and leaving Aston Villa at the weekend.

• "True professional" Corsie is "Scotland through and through" and her relief was evident when she was given the news of her selection.

• First-time call up Kathleen McGovern is "a good fit" for Scotland and the Hibs striker has "worked really hard for this opportunity".

• Andreatta says their is "a hunger" within the players to represent Scotland, "get to the next level and achieve their goals".

• The penultimate Nations League A game against Austria is "a real opportunity to show everyone what we're all about".

• The head coach hasn't spoken to former Scotland international Kim Little, who is set to captain Arsenal in the Champions League final on 24 May but the midfielder is definitely someone she wants "to connect and speak with".

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Glasgow City head coach Leanne Ross: "We went a goal behind but I still felt we were in control of the gam at that point.

"I'm pleased the players were able to ground it out and got the three points we needed tonight.

"It's still all to play for in terms of making sure we get that second spot and ensure Champions League football for next season, the players are eager to do that"

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Rangers manager Jo Potter: "That was our main objective at the start of the evening, to take three points and come away with a victory to take us into the last game, and that was what we have managed to do.

"We've been put in a position now where the pressure is really on. We are in a position that we'd have prayed for a week ago, and we are finally in it.

"It was a big three points for us to take us into this final game."

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Hibernian head coach Grant Scott: "I thought the players were magnificent, we asked them for a good start and to show their energy.

"I thought we managed to smother Celtic pretty well for a sustained period in that first part of the first half and got ourselves in a really good position. We've done our job tonight and taken it to the last game, which is an unbelievable achievement already.

"Delighted that we are taking it down to the wire. We've got a lot of work to do yet, we're taking nothing for granted. We're delighted with where we are, but we want to go and try and see it off if we can.

"These players deserve something out of this season in my opinion, and I hope they get it."

Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku: "First half not good enough, we know it.

"Obviously, the three goals we let in are too easy, and I think the second half was much better. We are not happy with the performance.

"It's not been good enough, we need to learn from it, and we need to grow."

Captain Rachel Corsie returns for Scotland for the first time since July following injury as head coach Melissa Andreatta names her first squad.

There is also a first call up for Hibernian striker Kathleen McGovern, who has 25 goals for the Scottish Women's Premier League leaders, while Rangers captain Nicola Docherty and two club-mates - winger Brogan Hay and forward Kirsty Howat - are recalled.

What do you make of Andreatta's first squad? Are you happy with the first-time call-ups and Corsie's return?

Give us your thoughts here.

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Hibs forward Kathleen McGovern has won the SWPL player of the month award for the second time this season.

The 22-year-old scored three goals during April - taking her season's tally to 26 - as league leaders Hibs went unbeaten with wins over Hearts, Rangers and Motherwell plus a stalemate with Celtic.

Grant Scott's side currently hold a three-point lead over Rangers and Glasgow City and host Celtic in the penultimate league fixture tonight.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Kilmarnock forward Lucie Burns was named SWPL 2 player of the month for April.