Rangers beat St Johnstone as title looms

Rangers are merely six wins away from clinching the Scottish Premiership title after Ianis Hagi’s efficient strike secured a routine victory over St Johnstone at Ibrox.

The league leaders – who had been fortunate to not have Kemar Roofe despatched off sooner than the break – are nonetheless unbeaten and now sit 23 components away from Celtic.

Steven Gerrard’s side would possibly however clinch the trophy on the home of their fiercest rivals after they cross city on 20 March, supplied both aspect win all of their video video games inside the meantime.

Rangers weren’t at their fluid best at Ibrox in opposition to a St Johnstone side with a well-earned fame for being powerful to interrupt down of their 3-5-2 formation, and Callum Davidson’s side gave an trustworthy account of themselves as soon as extra.

Nevertheless even nonetheless, they might have been just a few targets to the nice at half-time after Ryan Kent and Connor Goldson spurned good alternate options from contained within the discipline.

Kent did brilliantly to decide on up Joe Aribo’s knockdown and work a niche, nevertheless fired giant with the nook of the online gaping, whereas Goldson did the similar from James Tavernier’s free-kick.

And whereas they should have been a few targets up, Rangers should even have been an individual down after Roofe planted his studs onto Murray Davidson’s ankle, lastly inflicting the St Johnstone midfielder to limp off.

Given Rangers’ imperious sort and miserly safety, having fun with with 10 males for an hour may not have fazed them, nevertheless St Johnstone will nonetheless actually really feel aggrieved on the dedication, notably if the influential Davidson faces an prolonged spell out.

As an alternative, the early pattern of the game continued as Rangers probed for the opener, which lastly acquired right here through the brilliance of Hagi.

The winger picked up the ball on the becoming and skipped earlier a wall of St Johnstone defenders to squeeze the ball into the nook of the online.

From there the top end result was not at all uncertain, with Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor referred to as into movement merely as quickly as as he pushed Craig Bryson’s shot clear.

The Premiership procession rolls on.

Man of the match – Ianis Hagi

What did we examine?

Rangers haven’t been at their good best for a while, nevertheless the excellence this season compared with last, is that they don’t should be comfortably rack up victories. It’s perhaps inevitable that the depth drops barely when the rest of the league is in your rear-view mirror.

One different cornerstone of their imperious season has been the flexibleness of assorted avid gamers to step up at completely totally different events, and this time it was Hagi’s time to shine. His efficient strike acquired the job accomplished, and that’s all Rangers need to do for the next six video video games so as to have the Premiership title once more at Ibrox.

St Johnstone, within the meantime, gave one different respectable defensive present with a few prospers in assault. They proceed to be eighth, merely 4 components above the relegation play-off place, nevertheless there is perhaps few who assume they will be in serious trouble come Might.

Although they’ll the truth is have hoped for additional, coming away from Ibrox with solely a slender defeat is more healthy than most as we speak.

What’s subsequent?

Rangers are away to bottom side Hamilton Academical on Sunday (12:00 GMT), whereas St Johnstone will objective to be the first side to beat David Martindale’s Livingston the day sooner than (15:00 GMT).