Just when Rangers seem to take a half step forwards, they end up falling on their backsides shortly after.
Beating Dundee last weekend and Celtic drawing a blank against rivals United saw them cut the gap to single digits. But there’s a reason why they were so far behind in the first place and they showed everyone why in Paisley as St Mirren struck late to make it three wins on the bounce for Stephen Robinson‘s team.
A fairly sedate Boxing Day bash came to life just before the half hour when Jack Butland lost the run of himself. A long ball over the top caught out a Rangers backline that was all over the place and greg Kiltie latched on to it. He was on the angle of the box and not an immediate danger, so why. Butland came tearing out to try and top him, only to flatten the Saints wide man wasn’t entirely clear.
The keeper was booked after VAR check for an offside and then whether Butland should have seen red. Then Oisin Smyth stepped up and set him the wrong way to make it 1-0 to the Buddies.
Gers were huffing and puffing but threatening little. Hamza Igamane fashioned a half chance for himself with a good turn on the edge of the box, but volleyed straight into Ellery Balcombe’s arms.
James Tavernier flashed a free-kick wide shortly after the break as Rangers upped the tempo. They came within inches of a leveller when Vaclav Cerny, who is becoming the go-to man to break teams down, rattled the woodwork with a near post strike. Balcombe then denied Danilo on the line as the visitors turned the screw.
It eventually told on the hour. St Mirren scrambled to keep their advantage in tact, but Danilo eventually got a strike away and found the bottom corner. A one-two between Igamane and Cerny presented another opening, by the Moroccan curled over as St Mirren struggled to keep their collective head.
They hit the woodwork themselves when a Smyth corner came of Propper’s back and luckily for the Dutchman, off the cross bar before being ushered out. But as the game moved deeper into stoppage time, the Buddies won it.
Evan Mooney collected the ball in the Gers area and had the awareness to hold it and tee up Boyd-Munce. And the midfielder hit as sweet a strike as you’re likely to see, drilling the ball low past a helpless Butland into the far corner.
Bare bones at the back
Philippe Clement said before the game that another injury to a central defender and Rangers would be “real trouble.” Well thats exactly what happened as Leon Balogun limped off inside 20 minutes. The Big Nigerian did really well to hold up then dispossess Toyosi Olusanya as he looked to break. But he was limped just after he set off and immediately hit the deck after clearing the ball and signalled to the bench,
That meant Clement had to send for Robin Propper and with Dujon Sterling already filling in at centre back, Rangers are down to the bare bones in that position. The Belgian will be hoping those two can get through the trip to Motherwell this weekend before Celtic head to Ibrox next week. A new centre back being signed in time for that one is technically possible, but ambitious. It will be top of Nils Koppens to do list, that’s for sure.
Dan the man
Not for the first time this season, Rangers looked much better after Danilo was introduced. The Brazilian was thrown on half-time. He came close before he eventually reacted quickest to fire home the equaliser. Off the back of his almost instant impact after coming on late against Celtic at Hampden, the case to start the former Ajax and Feyenoord frontman is a strong one.
While Clement is keen to rotate, Hamza Igamanae remains raw and Cyriel Dessers can’t be relied upon to produce when it really matters. Danilo as the first choice striker now looks like it makes sense whichever way you look at it.
Saints never die
It looked for all the world like St Mirren would wilt as Rangers piled on the pressure. But Stephen Robinson’s men dug in, defended when they had to and took their chance at the end when it came. Rangers remained vulnerable and you sensed the hosts knew it on the occasions they managed to counter against what was an improved second half display from Rangers.
But so often, Clement’s team have come up short when the needed for consistency is there. And it;s why they are now 12 points behind Celtic and won’t be finishing the season as champions.