Rangers regained top spot in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League on Sunday thanks to a 3-1 win at St Mirren.
The first half at St Mirren Park brought no goals, but the visitors were set on their way by an own goal from the Buddies’ Marc McAusland just after the break. Steven Naismith and Kenny Miller added two more before substitute Michael Higdon pulled a goal back for the home side from the penalty spot.
Celtic had displaced Rangers at the top of the league on Saturday with their emphatic 9-0 drubbing of Aberdeen and Walter Smith’s men found it tough to emulate their city rivals’ scoring, particularly in a drab opening 45 minutes.
Aaron Mooy put the ball in the net for Danny Lennon’s men early on, but the goal was ruled out for offside before Miller sent an effort just over Craig Samson’s bar. Steven Davis then rattlrd the same bar with a free-kick, while Maurice Edu nodded over from a Sasa Papac cross.
The Gers then had their own goal ruled out just before the break when Naismith was deemed to have fouled Samson as he nodded home.
The breakthrough came just three minutes after the restart when sub Kyle Lafferty got a slight touch on a Davis cross from the right and the unfortunate McAusland nodded it on and into the net.
Ten minutes later Lafferty was involved again as he sent a beautiful ball across the face of goal and Naismith tapped the ball home.
St Mirren were killed off when Miller robbed the despairing McAusland of the ball and slammed a low shot past Samson with just over 20 minutes to go.
The Buddies battled on regardless and saw an attempted clearance by Rangers’ Madjid Bougherra strike the inside of a post before Allan McGregor clawed a deflected Higdon effort off the line.
The former Falkirk man did get a goal when Davis was judged to have handled Jure Travner’s cross and the resultant penalty was dispatched past McGregor with no great difficulty.
The same player then sliced another chance wide after a set-up from Travner and Rangers could relax confident in the knowledge that they were back atop the SPL.