HOLT YOUR NERVE
St Johnstone 0 Rangers 1: Ex-Ger Holt’s own goal earns Clement’s men much-needed win in uninspiring clash in Perth
JASON HOLT got his 16th goal for Rangers – only problem for the midfielder was he was wearing a St Johnstone shirt.
The former Light Blues star spent five years at Ibrox and his own goal agony at McDiarmid Park was, ironically, his most important strike for them in a totally unwanted fashion.
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Holt’s second half moment of torment settled a dismal match – and prevented Rangers from falling even further behind Aberdeen and Celtic.
They’ve also got Dundee United pushing them hard for third.
They deserved the victory but, incredibly, once more they displayed a completely different appearance in the league.
Steak ‘n’ chips in Europe, mince at home.
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The comfortable victory over Nice you would’ve thought would see Rangers full of confidence and knocking the ball about slickly.
Yet, it was far from vintage fare.
But the result was the absolute be-all and end-all for boss Philippe Clement.
He just needs to keep picking them up to keep the pressure off him.
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Saints couldn’t be faulted for commitment – but they were badly lacking, particularly second half, when it came to creativity.
With Dujon Sterling the latest injury absentee, boss Clement recalled skipper James Tavernier while Ianis Hagi got a first start since May, 2023, and midweek sensation Hamza Igamane continued up front.
Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny gives away his shirt following the 1-1 draw with Dundee Utd at Ibrox
St Johnstone hadn’t even scored against the Light Blues in two years – stretching over seven games – but there was still a confidence about them after a league victory last weekend.
And they were bright in the opening 10 minutes.
Left-back Andre Raymond won a corner with a determined run and then stopper Jack Sanders – running like Robocop - sped past a sluggish Robin Propper, got to the byeline and delivered a decent cross which caused concern before being cleared.
Rangers – coming here with their lowest away points tally at the start of a campaign for 37-years – finally woke up in the 15th minute, with Vaclav Cerny cutting in from the right flank and unleashing a left foot shot which flashed inches past.
Moments later Saints midfielder Sven Sprangler produced a chest and volley from 20-yards which flew well over.
Saints were confident enough to pass it out from the back – but whenever they plumped for the launch-it option they had a real threat with the pace of the gazelle-like Benji Kimpioka who could make John Souttar and, especially, Propper sweat.
Hamza Igamane has so far saved his Gers goals for Europe.
But he was unlucky not to get his first domestic notch in the 25th minute when he took a Connor Barron pass, showed good feet to make space and then fired a low left foot shot from 20-yards which brought the best out of a diving Josh Rae.
Saints survived a VAR check for a possible penalty for hand-ball before Rangers regained the initiative.
A Tavernier cross to the near post picked out a darting Nedim Bajrami but the Albanian failed to get a meaningful touch at point-blank range and Rae gathered comfortable.
St Johnstone v Rangers player ratings
By DEREK McGREGOR
St Johnstone: Rae 7, Wright 6, Sanders 7, Mikulic 6, Raymond 6, Carey 5, Sprangler 5, Holt 5, Clark 5, Kirk 6, Kimpioka 6.
Subs: Essel (Carey, 46) 4, Neilson (Clark, 58) 4, Sidibeh (Sprangler, 67) 4, McPake (Kimpioka, 80) 3, Kucheriavyi (Holt, 81) 3.
Rangers: Butland 7, Tavernier 7, SOUTTAR 7, Propper 4, Jefte 6, Barron 6, Hagi 6, Raskin 5, Cerny 5, Igamane 6, Bajrami 5.
Subs: Balogun (Propper, 46) 6, Yilmaz (Bajrami, 46) 6, Danilo (Jefte, 58) 5, Diomande (Igamane, 76) 3, Dowell (Cerny, 86) 2.
It was a great chance.
Bajrami, though, connected far better in the 35th minute, controlling on his chest and then hammering a right foot volley which Rae dived to parry for a corner.
Then Jefte, after a distance run, tried his luck with a left foot shot but it lacked the power to trouble Rae.
Two minutes from the break, with Saints having been pinned back for a spell, the hosts suddenly countered – Drey Wright’s ball seemingly sending Makenzie Kirk bursting clear and hitting a shot which Jack Butland saved well.
But within a second up went an offside flag – one of those infuriating delayed decisions.
It has to be said, the general quality of the game was DIRE.
At times it felt like lower league than Premiership.
Rangers’ had had chances in the opening hour, sure. But too often it was bad touches and misplaced passes.
Saints? They’re definitely better under Valakari. But this was far more about just staying in the game than anything else.
Rangers – with Ridvan Yilmaz and Leon Balogun replacing Bajrami and Propper – were full of business at the start of the second half.
Hagi hit a shot over and then Igamane flicked the ball up and volleyed well wide. The Moroccan also controlled a Yilmaz cross, turned and shot with Rae saving.
Tavernier got a free-kick opportunity in the 55th minute – and his right foot effort from 25-yards brought the best out of Rae.
Just as frustration and anxiety was beginning to creep in for the visitors they got their precious goal.
Hagi produced a deft volleyed cross to the far post and as it dropped under the crossbar the unfortunate Holt, under severe pressure from Tavernier, got the final touch.
Rangers weren’t caring, though – it was ALL about just making the breakthrough.
Rae parried from Gers sub Danilo and then a Hagi shot almost embarrassed the Saints No1, the ball squirming through him and just past the post.
Saints offered little by way of trying for an equaliser but it was still a nervy ending for Clement’s men.
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Rae saved again from Danilo and in the final stages of the normal 90 Hagi got a booking for a blatant dive.
The win was never in any doubt once Rangers had gone ahead but for the sake of their manager and, of course, their supporters they are surely going to produce more emphatic triumphs.
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