Rangers verdict: Steven Gerrard's laser-like focus pays off again for a momentous 100

Steven Gerrard has adopted a blinkered approach to Rangers’ pursuit of the Premiership title this season – but even he cannot ignore the winning post looming ever larger for his team.

Ianis Hagi steers home a fine left foot shot to make the breakthrough for Rangers against St Johnstone at Ibrox. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

As he savoured his 100th victory as Rangers manager, the numbers continue to stack up pleasingly for the Ibrox side.

Ianis Hagi scored the only goal of a fully deserved but ultimately hard-earned win over St Johnstone which leaves the runaway league leaders needing a maximum of just 17 points from their remaining 11 fixtures to clinch the title.

Rangers also remain on course for an undefeated Premiership campaign and a potentially record points total from a 38-game top flight campaign. Gerrard’s single-mindedness and ‘one game at a time’ mantra is reaping rich dividends.

Without Alfredo Morerlos as the focal point of his attacking trident, the Colombian striker beginning his three-match suspension for violent conduct in the win at Hibs seven days earlier, Gerrard restored Kemar Roofe to his starting line-up.

Flanked by Hagi and Ryan Kent, the former Leeds and Anderlecht showed some signs of rustiness as he continues to get back up to full speed after the thigh injury he sustained at the start of January.

A sloppy touch from Roofe certainly contributed to the booking he collected after just 21 minutes. It might easily have earned him a straight red card. In attempting to retrieve the situation, he caught Murray Davidson with a late challenge which incensed the St Johnstone players and ultimately saw their injured midfielder replaced by Liam Craig before half-time.

That the interval arrived with the game still goalless was down to wastefulness on the part of Roofe and others as Rangers dominated possession in the patient but relentless manner which has become their trademark.

Joe Aribo was entitled to feel under-appreciated by his team-mates as he set up two especially glorious chances - the first of them passed up by Kent who drove a shot just wide from 12 yards, the next not taken by Roofe who blazed off target from close range.

Connor Goldson was next to let the Saints’ defence off the hook, the defender unable to find the target from inside the six yard box after being found by a James Tavernier free-kick.

The breakthrough Rangers merited finally arrived seven minutes after the restart. It came from the enterprise of Hagi as he collected the ball from Ryan Jack on the right before cutting inside and calmly working himself into a position to guide a low left foot shot beyond the left hand of Zander Clark into the corner of the net from 20 yards.

Rangers continued to zip the ball around with pace and precision, camping in St Johnstone’s defensive third of the pitch.

But as long as a second goal eluded them, they remained susceptible to the counter-attacking of their gradually more ambitious opponents. It required two smart saves from Allan McGregor to deny efforts from Craig Bryson in quick succession.

Rangers (4-3-3): McGregor. Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Jack, Davis, Aribo; Hagi (Kamara 81), Roofe (Itten 66), Kent. Subs not used: McLaughlin, Bassey, Zungu, Patterson, Wright, Stewart, Balogun.

St Johnstone (5-4-1): Clark, Brown (Rooney 66), Kerr, Gordon, McCart, Tanser; McCann, Bryson, Davidson (Craig 36), Conway (Melamed 81); May (Kane 66). Subs not used: Parish, Booth, O’Halloran, Gilmour.

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