Rangers ease past St Mirren

Tore Andre Flo celebrates his opening goal

St Mirren 1-3 Rangers

Rangers kept alive their hopes of catching Celtic and Hibs with a reasonably comfortable win over St Mirren.

The Scottish champions went ahead through Tore Andre Flo in 13 minutes but St Mirren equalised with a Ricky Gillies penalty in 36 minutes.

Flo added a second just before half-time and a Bert Konterman header put Rangers further ahead.

The Ibrox side could and should have added more but in the end had to settle for a two-goal winning margin, leaving St Mirren with plenty food for thought at the wrong end of the table.

Flo heads his first goal

Rangers put the home side to the wire in the second half and Kenny Miller was the first to come close when a dipping effort crashed off the St Mirren crossbar.

Flo twice threatened to add to his first-half brace and Reyna went close before Bert Konterman gave Rangers a two-goal advantage.

The Dutchman rose unchallenged three yards out to head the visitors' third.

Flo and Miller went close and substitute Jorg Albertz had a typically powerful strike well saved by Roy.

Roy did well to save at the feet of Neil McCann when the little winger was through with 10 minutes remaining.

Scott Walker might have given St Mirren a glimmer of hope five minutes later, but he directed a header just wide of goal.

Simple goal

Goalmouth incidents were few and far between in the early stages, although the visitors had the bulk of the possession.

Barry Ferguson took a bad face knock but recovered sufficiently to continue.

St Mirren's Tom Brown was not so lucky - he was stretchered off with what turned out to be ligament damage.

Rangers took the lead with their first real chance in 13 minutes.

It was a goal of utter simplicity - a Neil McCann corner was met by the head of Tore Andre Flo at the front post leaving Ludovic Roy with no chance.

St Mirren created their first opportunity in the 19th minute when Graham Fenton laid the ball into the path of Steven McGarry, but he could only poke the ball at Stefan Klos.

Ricky Gillies scores from the spot

A Ronald de Boer free kick after Iain Nicolson had clattered Neil McCann flashed just wide.

Fenton miskicked when in the clear on the half-hour mark, but he made amends six minutes later when he earned St Mirren a penalty.

He got behind Fernando Ricksen and the Dutchman caught Fenton in the face with his boot as he tried to retrieve the situation.

Ricky Gillies directed the spot kick beyond Klos to bring the home side level.

Lorenzo Amoruso went close with a couple of long-range efforts before Flo restored Rangers' lead with a cute back-heel after Tommy Turner had needlessly lost possession.

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St Mirren: Roy, Nicolson, Turner, Baltacha, Kerr, Murray, Brown, Gillies, Walker, Fenton, Renfurm.

Subs: Scrimgour, McGarry, Yardley, Bowman, McKenzie.

Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Amoruso, Konterman, Numan, Reyna, Ferguson, de Boer, McCann, Flo, Miller.

Subs: Christensen, Mols, Albertz, Wilson, Ross.

Referee: Dougie McDonald