St Mirren 2-2 Rangers- Match Report


Rangers end with a draw at St Mirren

Rangers brought the curtain down on their four-year journey through the lower leagues with another disappointing result as they were held to a 2-2 draw by St Mirren in Paisley.

The Light Blues had failed to win any of their three previous games since wrapping up their Championship crown but threw away victory in their final game of the season when they allowed Saints sub Lewis Morgan to level at the death.

Former Gers youngster Calum Gallagher fired the Buddies ahead just before half-time but that was cancelled out by Kenny Miller's 20th goal of the campaign.

Jason Holt thought he had given the Ibrox side the win two minutes from time when he beat Jamie Langfield but Saints kept going and Morgan grabbed a deserved equaliser in stoppage-time.

But with three idle weeks before the William Hill Scottish Cup final with Hibs, Rangers boss Mark Warburton will be worried by his side's recent lacklustre look.

There was, though, a welcome sight for the 4,000 Rangers fans in Paisley as top-scorer Martyn Waghorn finally made his return to Warburton's line-up after 11 weeks out injured.

It did not take the Englishman long to get himself back up to speed as he smashed the ball off the base of the post after 19 minutes beforwe whipping another effort just wide.

Rangers were on top but Saints were hardly bystanders

Stevie Mallan came close for the hosts with a 25-yard free-kick but keeper Wes Foderingham was down smartly to push the midfielder's attempt away.

The stopper did not look quite so assured when he was put under pressure by team-mate Rob Kiernan's shanked back-pass

Foderingham tried to knee the ball down but his heavy first touch fired it straight against the on-rushing Lawrence Shankland

It was to his relief that the ball bounced wide of goal as the striker failed to control.

But Foderingham was to blame when Gallagher put the Buddies ahead five minutes before the interval

Mallan drove Saints forward from midfield and after a tidy exchange of passes between Shankland and Clarkson, the ball was worked to Gallagher on the right side of the box

He struck his low shot with pace but it should never have beaten the goalkeeper at his near post.

The goal gave Gers a wake-up call and they came out fired up for the second period.

The leveller came after 54 minutes as James Tavernier stood a cross up to the back post for Miller to thud home with a header.

Barrie McKay was then denied by Jamie Langfield's block, while the Saints keeper did well to divert another Miller strike against the bar as Gers continued to push.

Veteran Saints Stevie Thompson and Jim Goodwin were given their chance to bid farewell to the Paisley faithful as they made their final appearances off the bench with quarter of an hour remaining, and there was even time for Irish battler Goodwin to collect one last booking for dragging down Holt.

The Ibrox midfielder dusted himself done and after playing a one-two with Nicky Clark on the edge of the Saints box before angled the ball into the corner of the net

But Morgan denied Gers victory as he cut in from the left to slam past Foderingham with his last-gasp strike.


Source : PA

Source: PA