St Johnstone 0 Rangers 2 – Danilo and Rabbi Matondo score to help ease Michael Beale pressure but win comes at a cost
IT was a small step on the road to redemption.
A win when Michael Beale needed one most.
Yet it was far from convincing and came at a cost as Rangers suffered serious collateral damage in Perth.
Striker Danilo was taken to hospital with a suspected compound fracture after heading his side into a first half lead.
The Brazilian’s bravery has kept his manager in a job - but it may well keep him on the sidelines for six weeks.
With the games coming thick and fast, that represents more bad news for Beale.
read more football stories
Against bottom of the table St Johnstone, his side made heavy weather of things.
His is a team lacking in confidence and after Danilo left the field, a focal point to its attack.
Had the home side shown more purpose sooner, they may well have taken something from this one.
Instead, Gers sub Rabbi Matondo made sure of a vital three points with a late second for the Ibrox side.
Most read in Football
This wasn’t an emphatic victory by any stretch of the imagination.
But it was enough to shift some of the gloom that had descended in recent weeks.
A fortnight had almost passed.
For Beale, it felt much longer.
The fallout from his side’s Old Firm derby defeat had been savage and relentless.
You have to wonder if the anger among supporters will ever truly subside.
And that, in a nutshell, is the biggest problem facing Beale as he attempts to salvage his first full season in charge.
Stopping short of the Treble and a run to the Europa League Final, the beleaguered boss has it all to do.
In the eyes of many fans, he’s already past the point of no return.
Just days after failing to reach the group stages of the Champions League, his Gers side fell four points behind Celtic in the title race.
By his own admission, he has no credit in the bank and no margin for error.
It was surprising then to see so many changes to the Rangers starting line-up.
The verdict
Player ratings
St Johnstone: Dimitar Mitov 5, Oludare Olufunwa 5, Liam Gordon 2, Andrew Considine 5, Luke Robinson 5, Matt Smith 5, Daniel Phillips 5, Max Kucheriavyi 5, Graham Carey 5, Dara Costelloe 4, Chris Kane 5
Subs: (Gordon 19, McClelland 3) (Kucheriavyi 70, May 2) (Kane 82, Turner-Cooke 2) (Phillips 82, MacPherson 2)
Rangers: Jack Butland 7, James Tavernier 6, Connor Goldson 6, Ben Davies 6, Ridvan Yilmaz 6, John Lundstram 6 , Nico Raskin 7, Tom Lawrence 6, Sam Lammers 5, Kemar Roofe 6, Danilo 4
Subs: (Danilo 19, Sima 3 ) (Lammers 73, Matondo, 5)
MAN OF THE MATCH: It wasn’t a game to remember - far from a classic. Rangers got their noses in front largely thanks to Danilo’s bravery. He was looking sharp in attack until he left the field of play. Tom Lawrence was making his first start in over a year and he impressed in parts. But Nico Raskin was the man who drove his Gers side to a much needed victory. Much more like the kind of form he showed when he first arrived in Glasgow.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Seven bookings in a match that passed with one or two talking points. The ref was quickly on the scene as the medics rushed on to treat Danilo and Liam Gordon. The officials ruled out a Kemar Roofe goal, but it looked like a very marginal offside call. They also waved play on after VAR was asked to check TWO potential St Johnstone penalties. On each occasion it seemed the officials had got those calls right.
MEN IN THE DUG-OUT: Make no mistake, this was a massive win for under-fire Michael Beale. But there are still more questions than answers for many Gers fans. Goals from Danilo and Rabbi Matondo proved priceless, but Rangers are still lacking in pace, confidence and any width. Much more serious tests lie in wait, Real Betis are in town on Thursday. There is still someway for Beale to go if he’s to win back the trust of the Rangers fans.
Beale made six in total with the likes of John Souttar, Ryan Jack and Rabbi Matondo dropped out.
Danilo came in for a rare start, while Tom Lawrence and John Lundstram were reinstated in midfield.
It was Lawrence’s first start in over a year.
Saints made four changes, with Chris Kane returning to lead the attack.
It was his first start in the league since December 2021.
The first half was a nervous affair.
Players on both sides were guilty of giving the ball away with Lundstram and Connor Goldson both passing straight out the park.
It was perhaps understandable giving the magnitude of what was at stake, certainly for the visitors.
Beale’s men were less than convincing in most of what they did.
But, crucially, they had their noses in front as the teams headed up the tunnel at half-time.
Yet they paid a heavy price for the lead.
The Gers goal came from a St Johnstone corner.
Saints squandered possession after trying to work a training ground move.
Rangers, for just about the only time in the half, broke quickly.
James Tavernier and Sam Lammers worked a neat one-two with the striker delivering from out wide.
Danilo got there just ahead of Gordon, glancing his header beyond Dimitar Mitov.
As the rest of his team mates celebrated, the Brazilian lay still on the pitch.
His grisly, totally unintentional, collision with Gordon resulted in both players leaving the field.
Abdallah Sima was brought on by Gers, while Sam McClelland was Gordon’s replacement.
Sima’s presence in the box eight minutes later, should have brought about a second Rangers goal.
Yilmaz did well to find the Gers sub, with Sima showing great pace to get past Luke Robinson.
But instead of squaring for Kemar Roofe or Lammers - both would have had a tap-in - Sima elected to go himself.
Mitov made the save and a glorious chance had come and gone.
Just before the break, Mitov again denied Sima.
Beale’s side had failed to press home their advantage and they were almost made to pay just two minutes into the second half.
Ben Davies was woefully short with his back pass, allowing Kane to race in on goal.
After Jack Butland raced out to meet him, the Saints striker went to ground claiming a penalty.
VAR ruled play on.
Two minutes later, VAR was involved again.
Kane again went to ground, this time under the challenge of Lawrence.
But once again VAR ruled there had been no foul play.
There is no doubt, however, St Johnstone were committing more men forward.
Rangers hadn’t got going at all, second half, and the Saints players seemed to sense their anxiety.
Just past the hour mark, Davies got his head to a Olufunwa effort that looked to be arrowing towards the corner.
At the other end, Rangers had a Roofe goal ruled out for offside.
It was a marginal call to say the least.
Lawrence then tested Mitov from distance as Gers began pushing for the second goal that would kill the game.
With just over ten to go, it arrived.
Nico Raskin did well to wriggle free in midfield. His pass found Lawrence who then split the St Johnstone defence with a quite superb through ball.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Just six minutes after his introduction, Matondo raced clear to finish beyond Mitov.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page