Smith admits Saints were streets ahead

The Scottish champions found themselves trailing to goals from Cillian Sheridan and Chris Millar in the opening 12 minutes as Saints got off to a blistering start in the rearranged fixture at McDiarmid Park. And hopes of a comeback when Sasa Papac pulled a goal back for the Ibrox side after 16 minutes proved premature when the home side struck again either side of the break through Liam Craig and Murray Davidson.

Smith said: "It was a very disappointing night. I felt we started the game very poorly, as poorly as we have started any game this season and St Johnstone started extremely well. I thought they played very well, especially in the first half. In the second half we got to grips with the game a bit more but never really created a great deal from our territorial advantage. Overall, I can't begrudge St Johnstone their win because they played very well."

Top goalscorer Kris Boyd and Kevin Thomson were the players withdrawn at half-time as Rangers tried in vain to haul themselves back into the game but Smith admits there were plenty of contenders for the hook ahead of the second half. "It could have been anybody at half-time, couldn't it?" said the Rangers boss.

Saints' priority at the start of the season was surviving their first campaign back in the top flight but they are now real contenders for a top-six finish after closing to within two points of sixth-place Hearts with a better goal difference.

"The fact that we are talking about it is testament to the players' efforts," said manager Derek McInnes. "We would never have imagined that, a lot of people tipped us to go down. But the fact we are talking about it two games before the split is credit to the players. We have only ever tried to pull in the team above us. We would need two or three huge results – and this was a huge result."