Rangers 2 - 1 St Mirren: Boyd bags a brace as Rangers edge it

Published on Saturday 7 November 2009 20:29

Boyd 1, 57 O'Donnell 89

RANGERS chairman Alastair Johnston was at Ibrox yesterday. In a break from recent times, money or mayhem wouldn't have caused him concern over the Ibrox club's affairs so much as messiness of a low-level nature on the park. After Kris Boyd had done what Kris Boyd does with a double against a dodgy defence – the first of which came in only 17 seconds – the home side should have cruised for the remaining 37 minutes. And they did until they got all edgy in the leading up to Stephen O'Donnell netting a minute from time.

Nothing is coming easy to Walter Smith's men but, equally, they are hanging in there. Still unbeaten domestically, they moved above Hibernian and to within a point of SPL leaders Celtic, who are at Falkirk today. They did so after having players troubled by a bug picked up in Bucharest in midweek, their Champions League exertions cited as a possible factor in their late falling off by manager Walter Smith, who admitted experiencing an "anxious (last] few minutes that was definitely a bit closer than we would have hoped".

With Boyd, as always for European away games, given the night off as a late goal meant Rangers settling for a 1-1 against Unirea three days ago, it was perhaps predictable that he was one of the encounter's more sprightly figures in blue. A spring may have been added to his step on witnessing a banner that proclaimed: "Kris Boyd must stay – and play home and away". Not true, but it does scan awfully well.

It made a change from the scrawled-on sheets at Tannadice a week ago that bought into the idea of Rangers as a club under siege. That feeling has only been strengthened as a result of the latest violent sortie by the club supporters in Europe that comes only a matter of weeks after the bank's attack on their fiscal folly. These, ahem, difficulties, do have the capacity for producing the odd darkly comic moment, though. The grumbling, embarrassed murmur prompted by the obligatory pre-match tannoy announcement that "Rangers Football Club will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour..." was one instance.

The home crowd then veered between appreciation and opprobrium as their team was opened up and passed up openings to add to the quickest goal scored in the SPL this season. Incredibly, only 17 seconds had elapsed before they had breached the St Mirren goal and the player whose efforts paved the way for this strike was at the centre of most of what was good about Smith's side. John Fleck has rarely been given the opportunity to perform in his favoured role of second striker, but the 18-year-old was yesterday and revelled in it.

Dig, drive and daintiness were all exhibited by the teenager in a fine hour – he thereafter disappeared, it must be said – that was as central to Rangers moving back into second place as Boyd's double. Indeed, Rangers peerless poacher was the beneficiary as, from kick-off, Fleck found himself in a shooting position 20 yards from goal and curled in an effort St Mirren keeper Paul Gallacher could only parry. The loose ball then hit off Nacho Novo to run into position for Boyd to bury.

The groundwork for the clinching second in 57 minutes also could be traced back to Fleck's involvement. Initially, in the form of a rotten corner he turned into a good one by robbing Hugh Murray of possession and feeding substitute DaMarcus Beasley down the right channel. He, in turn, slipped the ball to Novo, who squared for Boyd to bag his seventh of the season.

For the next 30 minutes the contest seemed to have ceased to be one. Then St Mirren got a second wind when O'Donnell chested down a Billy Mehmet cross and scored past Allan McGregor.

There is an unseemly rush to squeal about Scottish football standards at every turn but both sides carved out chances through craft yesterday. And midway through the period Garry Brady looked as if he had produced one to earn an equaliser after smartly exchanging passes with Andy Dorman on the edge of the area, he then curled in a delightful effort that had McGregor beaten all ends up. It didn't beat the goalframe, however, cannoning off the far upright.

The Rangers keeper also a fine save from 35-yarder from Dorman in an opening period that Smith admitted the visitors ended the stronger and his St Mirren counterpart Gus MacPherson seized on as a minor plus. "Credit to them for the manner they tried to play in the first half," he said.

MAN OF THE MATCH

There were no outstanding performances, it was too uneven an encounter for that, but Kris Boyd deserves it for his close-range finishes and the fact the first came when the first whistle had hardly died away.

QUICK FACT

No-one around Ibrox could remember a quicker goal than yesterday's 17-seconder.

TALKING POINT

Sasa Papac claimed afterwards that the impressive contributions of Danny Wilson, 17, and John Fleck, 18, showed Murray Park was paying dividends for Rangers. Playing such young players may be a case of needs must but that shouldn't detract from their merited inclusions.