Hearts were defeated 3-1 by Celtic at Oriam on Wednesday night.
A first half brace from Tash Flint, either side of Amy Gallacher’s strike had the league leaders ahead at the break and although Lizzie Waldie grabbed a late consolation for Hearts, the damage was done, as the visitors took all three points.
Eva Olid made three changes for the visit of the league leaders. Rachael Johnstone, Kate Mooney and Jess Husband came in to replace Charlotte Parker-Smith, Ciara Grant and Sade Adamolekun.
Celtic arrived at Oriam knowing three points would put them on the verge of a first ever SWPL title and they were fast out of the traps at Oriam, opening the scoring after 17 minutes.
Hearts gave up possession deep inside their own half and when the ball was worked to Tash Flint, she worked half a yard for herself, before finishing low past Johnstone.
The early signs were suggesting the Hearts stopper was going to be in for a busy evening and she was called into action just a minute later, beating away a powerful strike from Amy Gallacher.
The Celtic number seven wasn’t to be denied however and she doubled the visitors lead just after the half hour mark. It came from the second phase of a set play and when the ball dropped to Gallacher, she poked the ball into the bottom corner, through a crowd of bodies.
It was three just a couple of minutes later. A long ball over the top found Flint and she lobbed the ball over the onrushing Johnstone and into the empty net.
Johnstone was called into action again just before the interval. An excellent point-blank save to deny Flint her hat-trick.
It had been a tough half for the Jambos, but they almost pulled one back a minute before half-time. It was a quick ball in behind the Celtic backline to release Katie Lockwood, she tried her luck from the edge of the area, but under pressure from covering Celtic defender Caitlin Hayes, curled her effort just wide.
Into the second half and Hearts were enjoying more possession. The visitors dropped slightly deeper to protect their lead and the game felt rather flat for much of the second period.
Despite their possession, the women in maroon were struggling to test Kelsey Daugherty in the Celtic goal. The closest Hearts came was on the 75th minute, the ball dropped to Jess Husband and she toe-poked the ball just wide from inside the box.
Hearts were moving the ball around nicely and after Jess Husband and Erin Rennie linked up to find Kathleen McGovern, her volley was excellently blocked by Caitlin Hayes.
From the resulting corner, Adamolekun’s delivery was met by Lizzie Waldie at the back post, who headed home to grab a consolation goal for the Jambos.
Hearts: Johnstone, Brownlie ©, Forsyth (Michie, 76), Lockwood (Rennie, 76), Waldie, Handley, Mooney (Adamolekun, 65), Bell (E. Husband, 65) , Girasoli, McGovern, J. Husband
Subs: Parker-Smith, Penman, Rennie, Adamolekun, Michie, E. Husband, Chomczuk, Fraser
Celtic: Daugherty, Barclais, Ross, Craig, Gallacher, Shen, Agnew, Clark ©, Hayes, Ashworth-Clifford, Flint
Subs: Logan, Cummings, Robertson, Smith, Cavanagh, Loferski, Menglu, Goldie, McAneny
