Rangers swept aside St Johnstone 4-0 at a rain-soaked Ibrox, with Kevin Kelsy scoring twice to move the Light Blues to within one point of Celtic.
The win came in the midst of Storm Boelo battering Glasgow, as Derek McInnes's side returned to form after a run of seven straight wins was ended by a draw at Dundee in their previous outing.
South Korean winger Minsu Kim was involved in all three of his side's goals, as Kelsy took his tally to four goals from his last five games, with Ryan Naderi and Tochi Chukwuani also on target.
Rangers dominate from the start
Badredine Bouanani was first to threaten with a twisting run which ended with a shot that fell inches wide in an enterprising start from the Algerian. Saints struggled to repel the early waves of attacking traffic, as the Light Blues forced a series of corners and Olwethu Makhanya rose to meet a delivery from the left in the 10th minute, but the net-bound header was deflected off-target.
Bouanani again burst to life with a run from the right that ended with a one-two with Minsu and a finish which was again only just the wrong side of a post. Emmanuel Fernandez was then allowed a free header which he directed straight into the hands of Toby Steward as another set-piece came to nothing.
Minsu was denied by a close-range block from Steward in the 25th minute, and Kevin Kelsy's curling shot was turned around a post before Rangers edged ahead in the 32nd minute as Minsu found Kelsy with a superb through ball which was swept home by the recalled Venezuela hitman.
Second-half cushion and red card
Steward's stunning stop from Kelsy just before the break kept Saints in the game, but there was a scare for the Ibrox side as Josh Fowler found time and space inside the box but dragged his shot wide. Kai Fotheringham volleyed wide from 18 yards just after the restart as Saints made three changes at the break, and Reece McAlear's strike from distance had to be tipped over by Ivor Pandur.
Rangers cushioned their lead with a second in the 61st minute, again Minsu providing as his shot was parried by Steward and Ryan Naderi bundled the ball home from a few yards out. Kelsy made it three in the 66th minute as he fired home from a Fernandez flick-on after Minsu's corner, before Fotheringham saw red for a high challenge on Nico Raskin. Chukwuani's finish three minutes from time completed the win as all eyes now turn to events in Edinburgh on Sunday as Celtic visit Hibs.
Talking points from Ibrox
The weather could have been a leveller for the hosts, but attacking urgency and quality from both flanks ensured this contest was settled with the minimum of fuss. It was a battering of Saints in all departments which should have had Rangers out of sight by the half-hour mark, such was their almost absolute complete dominance of the ball.
A virus may have swept through the Rangers dressing room this week, but there were no ill-effects from any lingering illnesses as McInnes gave his side a pre-match bill of health. Having a full compliment allowed the Ibrox boss to do a bit of tinkering as Kelsy came in to add another couple of goals to his account.
Djeidi Gassama was benched as the wide men Bouanani and Minsu stole the show with attacking intent from the first minute, and it was too much for Saints to contain. Minsu's ability to thread balls into dangerous areas was clear as he supplied Kelsy for the opener during a hugely impressive first half by both Rangers wingers.
A run of only one defeat from their previous five games for Simo Valakari's side was brought to an abrupt halt after being swamped inside their own half for the majority of the game. Only a combination of bad luck, poor finishing and a brilliant display by keeper Steward ensured this wasn't a more comprehensive defeat for the Perth side.
Saints skipper Jason Holt found himself out of the starting line-up this season as Josh Campbell came in, and it was a bold move to go into battle without a player whose experience and ability to dictate play has been a key asset. Rangers had failed to score from a single set-piece going into this game, and they had a host of opportunities to alter that statistic after forcing nine corners in the opening half, but a second-half dead ball delivery did bring a third for Kelsy.
