Alfredo Morelos' double ensured Rangers shook off their derby despair as Michael Beale’s side hit St Mirren for five.
The Ibrox side struggled to shake off their Paisley guests despite twice edging in front with goals from Todd Cantwell and Fashion Sakala. On both occasion the Light Blues - who saw captain James Tavernier miss an early penalty - were pegged back by sensational Mark O’Hara strikes. But just as Gers looked set to drop more points after last week’s title-race ending defeat at Celtic Park, they produced three goals in the final 10 minutes to storm to victory.
Morelos bagged his first strikes since February’s Viaplay Cup final loss before substitute Scott Arfield wrapped up the win. It’s a bitter blow for the Buddies who thought they’d all but wrapped up a first-ever top-six slot with the game at 2-2. But a point at home to Kilmarnock next week should still now do it for Stephen Robinson’s Paisley high-flyers. After last week’s painful Parkhead result there should have been an early goal to soothe Rangers’ derby wounds as Alex Gogic’s trip on Nico Raskin gave the Light Blues a fourth-minute penalty.
But there was more frustration in store as Trevor Carson read Tavernier’s intentions, throwing himself down to his right to parry the skipper’s spot-kick. At the other end, Allan McGregor wasn’t quite as safe with his hands, spilling the ball out for a St Mirren corner but Greg Kiltie could only slam over with his volley as Gers struggled to clear their lines.
Fashion Sakala had a couple of goes at lifting the mood round Ibrox, first sending a deflected header onto the roof of the net before lashing another left-foot effort goalwards, with Carson’s reflexes again on point as the Northern Irishman pulled off a terrific stop.
But Gers found a way past the Paisley No.1 thirty seconds later as Cantwell notched his second for the club. When Malik Tillman picked up possession in midfield, it was Cantwell’s cue to get on his bike towards the box.
By the time he made it into the danger zone, Sakala fed Tavernier wide on the right, with the skipper’s first-time cross arriving at the perfect moment for the former Norwich playmaker to steer home off the underside of the bar.
There was a sense of relief round the ground now the hosts were ahead - but it didn’t last long. The first scare came when Ben Davies - one of the men guilty of gifting Celtic victory last week - was robbed by Kiltie.
Thankfully for the centre-back, John Lundstram recovered in time to rescue his team-mate’s gaffe as he cut out Kiltie’s pass to Main. Some more unconvincing defending from another of last week’s culprits John Souttar allowed Kiltie another sight at goal but this time it was a simple stop from Allan McGregor.
With four minutes of injury time added, Rangers were hoping to sneak a second. Instead their own laziness saw them head down the tunnel level.
Three times the Light Blues allowed Saints to work the ball into the box as they dallied on pressing the Paisley outfit’s crosser. It cost them at the fourth attempt as Ryan Strain picked out O’Hara.
Tillman was in close vicinity but was again casual with his closing down and watched as O’Hara chested the ball down before volleying a stunning strike in off the far post.
The half-time whistle was followed by a smattering of boos but it took just three minutes of the second period for Gers to spark a round of boos as they regained the lead, with Sakala glancing home a header from Borna Barisic’s in-swinging free-kick.
Carson had to pull off another crucial stop to deny Raskin as Gers swept forward on a lightening breakaway. Once again, however, Rangers’ failure to clear their lines at set-pieces proved their undoing as St Mirren hit-back.
Davies leapt into a pile of bodies to clear a Buddies cross but all he did was set the ball up perfectly for O’Hara to send a rasping drive past McGregor for his second of the game.
The home fans were beginning to fear the worst at this point but they had no need to worry as Morelos finally found his mark with 10 minutes left. Cantwell flicked on a Tavernier cross to the Colombian at the back-post, who rammed home from close-range to put his side back in front.
And the Rangers faithful were back on their feet twice more before the final whistle, with first Morelos stroking home after the returning Rabbi Matondo beat the off-side trap to pick out the striker. Arfield then finished the job as he stabbed past Carson put a final flourish on a move started by Cantwell’s driving run and cheeky no-look pass.
Waving goodbye?
It’s looking like this is the beginning of the end for Alfredo Morelos in Glasgow as his six-year stint with Gers draws to a close. The out-of-contract Colombian appears destined to be leaving in the summer with no breakthrough in sight following stalled talks on a new deal.
His time in Scotland has been filled with thrills and spills and he will depart having claimed the club’s European scoring record as well as Premiership and Scottish Cup winners medals. Of course the Ibrox support will reckon he should have won more during his stay but there’s still time for him to add a second successive Scottish Cup gong so long as the Light Blues can overcome Celtic at Hampden later this month and book a place in June’s final.
And he began his farewell tour by nabbing his first goals since his last visit to the National Stadium, bailing Michael Beale’s team out of trouble with two late goals after Mark O’Hara had twice pegged back the hosts.
Gers' Hoops hangover
It was a traumatic day for the Ibrox backline at Parkhead last week as mistakes from Ben Davies and John Souttar contributed to yet another derby defeat. And it appeared those blunders were still weighing heavily on the centre-backs minds as their nervous display contributed to a less than convincing first 45 minutes.
Davies had a slip that allowed Greg Kiltie to race clear before John Lundstram saved the defender’s blushes with a goal-saving intercept. John Souttar was slow off the mark on a couple of occasions too as he allowed Curtis Main to roll him.
Neither were to blame for the hesitancy that saw Mark O’Hara smash Saints level on the stroke of half-time but Davies was partly responsible for the Saints ace’s second as he sent a misplaced header straight to the Buddies midfielder. There was some redemption though for Rabbi Matondo. The £3million recruit from Schalke has had a nightmare first campaign in Scotland, with boss Beale admitting the Welsh winger had suffered a “crisis of confidence”.
Well he earned a hug from his manager as he climbed off the bench for his first minutes since the Christmas trip to Ross County to tee up Morelos for Gers’ fourth after beating Saints’ offside trap.
Making his Mark
Stephen Robinson must be mightily relieved that he tied talisman Mark O’Hara down on a new long-term deal just a few weeks back because the midfield ace must surely be drawing attention from bigger clubs than the Buddies. The 27-year-old wasn’t known as much of a goalscorer before his move to Paisley but he’s been red-hot since pulling on a black and white jersey.
It’s now 12 for the season after his stunning double at Ibrox, with both long-range strikes perfectly placed well out of reach of Allan McGregor. He’s proved to be a big-game hunter too, with five of those strikes now coming against the Old Firm.
