Rangers created chances but we created far more and looked the more likely to score as the game wore on. It was another good display from the team and the 3-5-2 continues to work well. It also means our unbeaten run in cup competitions at the new ground is still intact.

Gus MacPherson resisted the temptation to tinker with Tuesday night's successful team, going with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. There were two changes on the bench due to the under-21 rule, so Graham Carey - making his first appearance since joining on loan from Celtic - and Conor Ramsay taking the place of Steven Robb and Garry Brady. Fortunately, Rangers left both Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd on the bench and went with a front two of Steven Naismith and Kyle Lafferty. Captain David Weir was also missing, but former Saint Kirk Broadfoot was in from the start.

A game against Rangers usually involves us losing a goal inside the first couple of minutes but for once we avoided that, the closest the visitors coming being a Lee McCulloch header that went well wide. Saints had a decent chance from a corner that was more productive than usual, but Michael Higdon's attempt was cleared. A break upfield from Kevin Thomson created a chance for Rangers, but Lafferty messed up his finish, before Naismith headed over.

Saints weren't creating too much but an opening did present itself midway through the half when a David Barron ball was nodded down by Higdon, buit it was just beyond the reach of Steven Thomson. A half chance emerged when Andy Dorman sent Billy Mehmet racing down the left before the midweek hero cut inside and sent a relatively tame shot straight at Allan McGregor. We were beginning to create more up front and Higdon passed up a good chance after being set up by Dorman at the edge of the box, the striker's soft shot being straight at McGregor.

His opposite number Paul Gallacher was troubled rather more with a Davis header, the keeper doing just enough to tip it around the post for a corner that came to nothing. In the dying seconds of the half he had a much easier task to save a Steven Whittaker header.

If we'd looked good in the first half, we were struggling to cope with Rangers in the second half as they began to dominate play. We were getting deeper and deeper and at one point Madjid Bougherra was allowed to stroll forward unchallenged from defence before chipping the ball forward for Naismith, only for Gallacher to clear it with his legs before the onrushing striker could get anything on it. Saints quickly launched a counter attack, only for Thomson to miss the target with his shot.

Despite being up against it, we had two decent chances to take the lead as the hour mark approached, both falling to Higdon. Both times he was thwarted by Bougherra, the Algerian clearing a header off the line before somehow managing to get just enough on the striker's chip to stop it creeping over. They were good chances, but Higdon had done as much as you could expect in the situation and it was more bad luck than poor execution that either had failed to go in. Also bad luck was Rangers promptly bringing Miller and Boyd on for Lafferty and Naismith. However, it was Saints who had the next chance, Mehmet failing to trouble McGregor with a header from a Mair ball forward.

Rangers began to dominate after that although couldn't really create too much, McCulloch never in danger of scoring with a shot from 25 yards. We then had a good laugh when Gallacher unintentionally wiped out Boyd. The Rangers fans were incensed at not getting a free-kick, and were even more incensed when their team returned the ball after it had been put out of play so Boyd could be treated. The masses were on their feet again when Whittaker wound down under a challenge from Potter that was never a penalty.

Higdon had done well but was beginning to look a little jaded, so with 10 minutes left he was replaced by Craig Dargo. The change almost paid off immediately when the nippy forward worked himself the space to curl in a shot from the edge of the box that went behind with the help of a deflection. Hugh Murray then almost scored in spectacular fashion, hooking in a cross that turned into a lob, forcing McGregor to tip it behind. Dorman had the next chance, but his header was always drifting wide.

Incredibly, it was Saints who were pushing for a winner as the game to a close and cup specialist Mehmet nearly grabbed it with a few minutes left, only for McGregor to parry it away. Surprisingly, there were only two minutes of injury time, rather than the usual "play until Rangers score" approach the SFA usually adopt, and they passed without incident.

The manager may think 3-5-2 is a bit defensive, but on the basis of this week it surely has to stay. Hearts could have been a one off, but today we created plenty and did well defensively. A good, solid performance from the team and if we can start doing it a bit more often in the SPL we shouldn't be needing extra supplies of underwear come May.