Rangers put their fans through the wringer again before running out 2-1 winners against a spirited St Mirren side in the William Hill Premiership at Ibrox.
After recovering from last week’s defeat at Kilmarnock with a convincing 4-0 Europa League win over Romanian side FCSB in Govan on Thursday, Philippe Clement’s side, with captain James Tavernier starting on the bench, could not find their rhythm despite taking a 13th-minute lead through Mohamed Diomande.
That lead was deservedly cancelled out by Alex Gogic’s header in the 26th minute but as anxiety and frustration regularly cascaded down from the stands Vaclav Cerny, who scored a double against FCSB, came to the rescue in the 69th minute when he popped up with the winner.
The Light Blues remain in third place, six points behind Celtic and Aberdeen, and now prepare for the trip to Pittodrie on Wednesday still without a permanent chairman, chief executive and director of football and with unhappy supporters again demonstrating their discontent with banners.
These are fraught days in Govan.
Rangers’ European win had come at a cost with midfielder Tom Lawrence dropping out with a twisted knee, replaced by Diomande.
Tavernier was replaced by right-back Neraysho Kasanwirjo while Moroccan striker Humza Igamane took over from Cyriel Dessers, who was on the bench, and centre-back John Souttar was rested, with his place taken by Robin Propper.
St Mirren, who arrived with one win in 11 games in all competitions, showed two changes with forward James Scott and full-back Elvis Bwomono in for only their second starts of the season.
Saints started with purpose and in the ninth minute attacker Toyosi Olusanya broke clean through but screwed his shot past stand-in skipper Jack Butland’s far post.
However, with their first real chance Rangers took the lead.
Nedim Bajrami played the ball back to midfielder Nico Raskin whose shot was deflected towards Buddies goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe and when it rebounded to Diomande he swept it into the net for his first goal of the season.
Rangers’ ultras-style fans group, Union Bears, then unfurled banners aimed at the board which read, ‘Your ineptitude is destroying our club; time for fans to force change’. Another banner in the second half displayer, ‘worrying about thousands while wasting millions’.
Those fans had more to moan about in the 26th minute when Gogic headed in from skipper Mark O’Hara’s inviting corner, a VAR check for a foul coming to nothing.
Kasanwirjo’s sliced shot on the angle skimmed the bar and there were efforts from Bajrami and Cerny but the bold Buddies refused to allow them to get a grip of the game.
Dessers replaced Igamane for the start of the second half but it was Olusanya who again raced away from the Gers defence in the 50th minute to slide the ball between Butland’s legs, only to be ruled offside.
Balcombe saved a close-range header from Dessers and at the other end, Butland blocked an angled-drive from Olusanya.
Rangers began to increase the pressure and their second goal came when Dessers battled to the byline and cut the ball back for Cerny to bundle in from close range for his sixth goal of the season.
It was an almighty relief for the home fans, whose anxiety was the backdrop to another unconvincing display.
Cerny, the Czech international on loan from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, should have scored another in the 82nd minute but Balcombe parried his curled shot past the post for a corner.
And Dessers missed at least two good chances to increase the home side’s lead, with a VAR check on a possible penalty denied.
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