Player of the match, biggest letdown, turning point, ref watch, gave us a giggle - what you need to know from St Mirren 1-2 Rangers

The key points as Rangers stretch clear at top of table

Ianis Hagi is brought down just inside the box by St Mirren midfielder Alan Power for the penalty which saw Rangers equalise in their 2-1 win in Paisley. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Player of the Match

On a day when Rangers found themselves rocked onto the back foot by Connor Ronan’s sumptuous fourth minute opener for St Mirren, it was Ianis Hagi who dragged them onto the offensive and the road to victory.

The Romanian international playmaker was ostensibly deployed on the right of Steven Gerrard’s attacking trio but he popped up all over the pitch as his clever link-up play helped turn the match around.

Letdown

It is always a deflating sight to see any player make his exit from a match on a stretcher and the lengthy break for treatment to Jamie McGrath had an appropriately subduing effect on the atmosphere in Paisley.

Everyone will wish the St Mirren midfielder well as he awaits the outcome of a scan on Monday which will determine how long he may be on the sidelines.

Turning point

Had St Mirren reached half-time with their lead intact, Rangers might have been in real trouble.

But the aforementioned Hagi’s dynamism and drive paid off when he was rashly brought down by Alan Power for the 41st minute penalty kick which Kemar Roofe converted to draw the visitors level.

Ref Watch

Steven McLean got the crucial penalty call correct but took a less than consistent approach to his administering of yellow cards.

Rangers captain James Tavernier, for example, was cautioned for a foul on Scott Tanser which was far less severe or calculated than his team-mate John Lundstram’s intervention to halt a counter-attack by Matt Miller a few minutes beforehand.

By the letter of the law, McLean had little option but to book Alfredo Morelos for his near crowd-surfing celebrations of his 100th goal for Rangers which clinched all three points for the champions.

But it remains frustrating to see such moments of joy, which are the very essence of the game for supporters, subjected to disciplinary action.

Gave us a giggle

If Vienna’s, that renowned night-time establishment in Paisley, are looking for new bouncers they could do worse than check if Conor McCarthy fancies some extra work.

The big Irish defender didn’t mess around when a pitch invader tried to join the St Mirren players’ celebrations of their early goal, shoving the bemused punter to the turf.

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