Despite a flying start under Steven Gerrard’s management, Rangers seem to have slowed down a bit in recent weeks. They lost to Aberdeen in League Cup semifinal followed by a 1-1 Premiership draw against Kilmarnock at Ibrox this midweek. They were up against struggling St Mirren this afternoon but struggled again with their barren form upfront. The supporters did not hold back their discontent as the Gers almost settled for yet another frustrating draw until substitute Daniel Candeias pulled off a stunning long-range strike to break the deadlock late in the second half. Alfredo Morelos continued his scoring run and made it 2-0 in closing seconds, however, a bizarre red card to Candeias brought a dramatic end after 90 minutes of hard-fought football.
Below are the Rangers players rated in their win against St Mirren.
Allan McGregor: 7.5
Made some crucial saves in the first half on his return to first-team action after being rested against Killie on Wednesday night. Was not troubled much in the second half and earned a clean sheet to ensure a comfortable victory in the end.
James Tavernier: 7
Was sluggish defensively at times and could not make it happen in the final third as well. The skipper, however, kept on creating chances high up the pitch and played his part in Candeias’ opener late in the game.
Connor Goldson: 7.5
Had some nervy moments in the first half but dealt the counter movements well with his great sense of positioning, interceptions and timely challenges.
Joe Worrall: 7.5
The England u21 international was preferred over Nikola Katic once again and settled in well after an anxious inception. Kept on creating moves from the deep with his strong passing skills and did well to partner Goldson in the heart of Gers backline.
Andy Halliday: 7
Featured in a makeshift left-back role in place of Jon Flanagan. Was not much convincing in the first half but uplifted his display after the break with overlap runs to combine with Grezda and Kent later on.
Ryan Jack: 7
Was utilised as a deep-lying playmaker to snatch possession from opponents’ feet and build the game up from deep down the midfield. Jack performed his job with efficiency but lacked enough creativity upfront when the Bears were in desperate need of a breakthrough to avoid another disappointing outcome.
Ovie Ejaria: 7.5
Kept the game fluid in the middle of the park with constant movements and link-up football. Created plenty of chances and troubled the Buddies time and again in and around the box but failed to find the net despite coming close on many occasions. Was replaced by Jordan Rossiter late in the game.
Scott Arfield: 7.5
Was allowed space in midfield and orchestrated moves high up the pitch utilising the space. His touches were heavy at times but made an impact in their difficult win. Also assisted Morelos in stoppage time who found the net to secure three massive points.
Eros Grezda: 6.5
Was handed a start down the left flank but had an average first half despite a few tricky runs and flashy skills. Came close to break the deadlock in the second half as he hit the woodwork with an effort from the edge of the box before being replaced by Daniel Candeias.
Ryan Kent: 6.5
His pace and energetic runs kept the hosts on their toes most of the time. The Liverpool loanee had another promising outing but failed to mark his name on the scoresheet despite his best efforts to hit the target.
Alfredo Morelos: 8
The Colombian looked lively from the beginning and came close repeatedly before finding the back of the net in the final seconds of the game. Morelos continued his excellent scoring run and should hand Gerrard a breath of fresh after a stressful week of domestic football.
Substitutes
Daniel Candeias: 7.5
The Portuguese professional proved to be the difference as he looked lively ever since replacing Grezda in the attacking third. He broke the deadlock at around 80th-minute mark with a strike from a distance. Although there might be confusions whether it was a cross or he intended to hit the target, the goal brought a sigh of relief for the travelling fans who were fuming minutes back for being wasteful. Candeias, meanwhile, received a bizarre marching order in the final seconds as a mundane outing offered a dramatic climax after 90 minutes of engagement.
Jordan Rossiter: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
