Celtic unable to close the gap as Rangers and Glasgow City rack up a dozen without reply
Rangers beat Spartans 5-0, while Glasgow City marginally cut their goal difference deficit with a 7-0 win at Forfar Farmington.
Spartans, who arrived in Glasgow with the second best defensive record in the league, went behind after 24 minutes. Nicola Docherty's cross was headed back across goal by Emma Brownlie and Kirsty Howat nodded home from close range.
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Hide AdFormer Hibernian and Manchester United forward Lizzie Arnot made it three on the hour and the scoreline was boosted by two very late goals scored by Clare Gemmell and Howat again.
“Spartans defended really well and made it difficult for us but we managed to beat them quite comfortably in the end,” player of the match Howat said.
Rangers added a second six minutes from half time. It was tough on Spartans keeper Rachel Harrison who made a great save from Sam Kerr, but from the corner Zoe Ness powered a header home.
Earlier in the day Glasgow City beat Forfar Farmington 7-0 at Station Park, with six of the goals arriving in the second half. There was a hat-trick for South African winter signing Ode Fulutudilu on her debut.
There were only three Scottish players in the City line-up, with internationalists Lee Alexander, Leanne Ross and Jo Love on the bench. A fourth Scotland cap, Leanne Crichton, wasn't in the match squad.
The defending champions had four great chances to score in the opening five minutes, and had hit the bar above Lauren Perry four times in the opening 24 minutes. The deadlock was finally broken just before half time when Sharon Wojcik scored following a good move involving Fulutudilu and Hayley Lauder.
The scoreline in a one-sided game took on a more realistic aspect when City scored two more in the first five minutes of the second half. Both were scored by Fulutudilu following a cross and a corner.
Nicole Robertson made it 4-0 midway through the half with another of the overseas winter signings, Julia Molin, then getting her first goal for the club to make it five without reply.
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Hide AdTwo goals in the last eight minutes from Love, who had replaced Lauder at half-time, and Fulutudilu rounded off the scoring on a difficult afternoon for Forfar.
“The first half was one of the most frustrating we've experienced,” City head coach Scott Booth conceded. “We played really well and managed to create an incredible amount of chances – but we didn't react well enough inside the box to things that were happening.
“Then we got the goal and talked about what we needed to improve in the second half. I've got to give a lot of credit to the players because they went out and scored the goals.”
Third place Celtic, who beat Hearts 10-0 in the earlier game between the clubs, scored all their goals in the second half when winning 3-0 at the K-Park. Rachel Donaldson and Sarah Ewens (2) were the scorers.
Hibs, who slipped down two places to sixth following their defeat by Spartans seven days earlier, moved back up to fourth with a 3-2 win over Motherwell.
It looked bad for the home side when Motherwell took the lead through Abby Callaghan midway through the first half. The deficit was quickly wiped out, however, when Amy Gallacher equalised four minutes later.
Colette Cavanagh made it 2-1 for Hibs just before the interval, and almost immediately after it Gallacher added a third. Motherwell got one back three minutes from time.