Rangers Grind Out Vital Victory in Paisley to Stay in Title Hunt
Danny Rohl had warned his Rangers side that with nine crucial matches remaining, only results mattered now. He tentatively ticked off the first of these "Cup finals" with an ugly but vital victory on a revolting day in Paisley against St Mirren.
Rommens' Moment of Quality Decides Dour Contest
Tuur Rommens separated the sides with a fine 31st minute goal, the Belgian's first for the club since his January transfer. Despite Rangers enjoying periods of pressure and control, they failed to convert their dominance into a comforting second goal and sorely lacked quality in attack throughout the match.
This was far from a pretty watch in the wind and rain, but Rohl's men showed exactly what was required to confront the difficult conditions and keep a spirited St Mirren side at bay. The vital three points were achieved after clinging on late against a host team reeling from the loss of their inspirational manager Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen.
Defensive Solidity Provides Platform for Victory
Rangers followed Celtic's example in closing the gap on Hearts this weekend and did so on the back of a comfortable defensive effort. After three successive away draws to Hibs, Motherwell and Livingston, finding a way to win on the road represented a significant step in the right direction.
Rohl's men are now only three points adrift in the title race, with the manager promising improvement in the weeks to come. However, better performances will surely be required to overhaul both Celtic and Hearts and become champions.
St Mirren's Injury Crisis Deepens
The Rangers goal came against a defence in makeshift mode, with St Mirren's luckless campaign with injuries turning from unfortunate to plain cruel. Keanu Baccus, only four games into his comeback following three months out, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in training last Thursday.
Declan John followed him to the treatment room a day later, compounding problems after stalwart Marcus Fraser was lost for the campaign with a collarbone injury earlier in the month. The situation deteriorated further during the match when Alex Gogic and Jayden Richardson suffered a horrible collision going for the same ball.
The Cypriot's bloodied head was mended, but Richardson suffered a deep gash above his eye that forced him off the pitch. With Richardson's natural replacement Conor McMenamin also injured, Allan Campbell replaced him on 17 minutes in a defensive reshuffle.
Rommens Proves His Worth
Despite not training for two days following a knock sustained against Celtic, Rommens was typically impactful on the flank. His January transfer is already looking like a seriously smart move, with the Belgian providing an instant upgrade since ousting 19-year-old Jayden Meghoma from the left-back position.
While Meghoma has plenty of scope for improvement, the climate at Rangers doesn't allow for much of that to come gradually. Rommens has brought dynamic and class options that are in short supply in St Mirren's injury-ravaged ranks.
McLeish's Difficult Start as Caretaker
Craig McLeish walked into an extremely tough position as caretaker manager last Wednesday after Robinson's exit to Aberdeen. Things only got more difficult in the days leading up to hosting Rangers, with the post-Robinson era beginning badly for Saints with Kilmarnock beating Hearts 1-0.
That result drew Neil McCann's team level on points and confirmed the Ayrshire men as the strugglers with momentum. Knockout specialists Saints, with a Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic looming, will need to gather some fresh impetus of their own quickly.
Missed Opportunities and Late Drama
The period when Rangers really should have seized the game by the throat was the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Yet they failed to take their opportunities - something Rohl had been warning them about all week.
Nico Raskin's header from a James Tavernier free-kick flashed just the wrong side of the post, while Tavernier himself found space to shape a shot from the edge of the box that was bound for the bottom corner until Shamal George, at full stretch, clawed the ball clear.
St Mirren had been contained with little sweat for the opening hour, forcing McLeish to make attacking changes. January signing Jake Young came on for defender Richard King, followed by Jonah Ayunga replacing Scott Tanser.
Young, buoyed by goals in his last two games, produced a brilliant take of a long ball to get in behind Tavernier but dragged his chance across goal while Dan Nlundulu begged for a cutback.
Nervy Finish and Offside Denial
It was joyless fare for Rangers fans once again living on their nerves late in a game with title implications. In the 90th minute, the visitors worked the ball into the net but the relief was short-lived.
Bojan Miovski and Raskin created for Thelo Aasgaard to tap home from a narrowly offside position, with the flag going straight up to deny the Norwegian his second goal against Saints this season.
Rangers were boosted by the return of Connor Barron on 72 minutes for Tochi Chukwuani. The ex-Aberdeen midfielder hadn't featured since a knee injury in early January and could be a key man down the stretch, helping Rangers do just enough on the game management front to secure the victory.
Only if Rangers can rediscover the final third quality sorely missing at the SMiSA Stadium and lift the title will this win be looked back upon with any real fondness. For now, it represents three vital points in their pursuit of championship glory.
