Cyriel Dessers came off the bench to bulldoze St Mirren as Rangers scrapped to a 2-1 win that eased the pressure at Ibrox – and it was much-needed after the Union Bears aimed a fresh protest at the board.
There were some early alarm bells ringing, most glaringly through Toyosi Olusanya who found acres of space behind the Rangers back line, but dragged a poor effort wide when one on one with Jack Butland. They responded well to the initial Saints onslaught and took the lead on 13 minutes, Mohamed Diomande pouncing on a rebound after Nicolas Raskin’s venomous strike at goal. It’s been a season of false dawns at Rangers and this threatened to be another. Alex Gogic soon equalised with a thumping header and the familiar grumbles began to ring out around Ibrox as the half-time break approached.
Olusanya’s pace was causing severe problems for Rangers at the back and he thought he’d put Saints in front when he raced through again shortly after half-time, but this time it was the offside flag that denied him.
Dessers was introduced at half-time and almost hit the back of the net within ten minutes of coming on, his awkward header well-saved by Ellery Balcombe who, to this point, had enjoyed a quieter game than he may have anticipated.
Fans in the Union Bears’ section had unveiled a banner reading ‘Your ineptitude is destroying our club. Time for fans to force change,’ and you got the feeling it wouldn’t have taken much for things to turn toxic. So there was a palpable sense of relief when Vaclav Cerny bundled home after a brilliant driving run from Dessers carved Saints open. The Nigerian answered the bell when his team needed it and it was a big win for Rangers that prevented Celtic and Aberdeen from widening the gap at the top, and here are our three talking points.
Missing pieces slot back in
There was an air of freshness about a Rangers team that didn’t feature either Cyriel Dessers or James Tavernier, but with it came a slightly disjointed feel that left Clement flapping his arms in frustration at times during the first half. They were electric during the week but were missing that verve here, and were treated to a muted chorus of boos at the half-time break.
The boss acted on it at the interval; on went Dessers for the quiet Hamza Igamane, and with the prospect of more costly dropped points looming ominously, captain Tavernier was called upon 15 minutes later. And while the subs didn’t immediately lift it, it soon became clear Rangers are a much better team with them in it. Their second goal came from the kind of surging run the enigmatic Dessers is capable of, knocking the ball over the head of Marcus Fraser before overpowering him and cutting the ball back.
Rotation wasn’t the answer Rangers needed in the end and it was the old familiars who got them over the line. Dessers in particular underlined his importance and, with eight goals in 16 games for the season, he’s starting to look like a player they can’t do without.
Buddies can’t bounce back
St Mirren’s decision to hand Stephen Robinson a new contract on the back of a string of defeats appeared curious at the time but they’ve been clear from the outset they believe in their man. And at times here the players showed here why that faith may be well-placed. They’ve got a hard-earned reputation for fearlessness in these games and they weren’t shying away from the fight, and the ‘unacceptable’ performance level which Robinson tore into after that 4-0 defeat to Hearts last weekend looked a distant memory.
But in the end the tune was the same old lament for Saints, falling to a fourth straight defeat that leaves them looking anxiously over their shoulder at Hearts and Hibs – the only two teams behind them as things stand. A trip to Ibrox can feel like a bit of a free hit so in that sense it’s not much lost, but they badly need to get back into the habit of winning games. Otherwise, awkward questions will soon be asked about the man who has just signed on until 2027.
And the fight goes on
Catching Celtic, or indeed Aberdeen, is already looking like a hell of an ask for Rangers. And while Clement’s promises of sustained improvement are yet to come to pass, it’s clear they’re in no mood to go away quietly. Playing St Mirren when they’re on their game is a bit like a trip to the dentist but, by hook or by crook, Rangers came through it and refused to yield more ground to the top two who are running away with it. Next up they’ll get the chance to directly eat away at it when they face the Dons on Wednesday, and that one may tell us more about where they really are. But this felt like a crucial confidence boost for a team that desperately needed it ahead of a huge week.