RANGERS go into 2022 top of the Scottish Premiership and on the end of nine straight league victories following a 2-0 win over St Mirren.
The Light Blues were excellent against Saints and ought to have won by more than the two goals they managed through Scott Wright and Alfredo Morelos this afternoon.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst named three changes to his side for this Boxing Day Scottish Premiership clash.
From the team which faced Dundee United eight days ago, Borna Barisic, Joe Aribo and Wright came in for Nathan Patterson, Scott Arfield and John Lundstram.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Glen Kamara, Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi were in the middle of the park, while Ryan Kent and Scott Wright played in support of Morelos.
In front of just 500 supporters given the new Scottish Government restrictions, it was always going to be a surreal atmosphere, but those lucky enough to be inside the stadium did their best to create an atmosphere.
Gers began at a lightning pace, and against two solid lines of visiting defence, did well to pick a way through thanks to super play from Aribo and Kent, but with Kent electing to square for Morelos, Saints eventually crowded the ball out of the area.
Kamara then weaved a merry path into the area and could easily have gone to ground under a challenge, but elected to stay on his feet before being denied by goalkeeper Jak Alnwick at his near post, and then Morelos headed over on the end of a wicked Barisic cross into the area from the left.
The pressure was always going to tell on St Mirren, and on just 14 minutes, Rangers grabbed their deserved lead thanks to Scott Wright’s fourth of the season.
From a corner out on the right, James Tavernier’s corner was terrific to the back post where Wright was waiting to get enough on his header to take it beyond Alnwick and into the back of the net.
It was just the start the Light Blues were after, and they kept the pace up, with Tavernier coming ever so close with a fine 25-yard drive which Saints deflected wide.
The second goal did arrive on 26 minutes, however, thanks to Alfredo Morelos’ 13th of the season.
From one end of the field to the other, Gers zipped the ball about, and when Aribo cushioned a super header down for Barisic to deliver from the left, the Croatian’s ball was simply outstanding for Morelos to bullet a header goalwards.
Alnwick made a fine save to deny him first time around, but the rebound dropped for El Bufalo to smash into the back of the net for 2-0.
Alnwick saved superbly from Morelos again to prevent 3-0 soon after with Aribo the provider with a neat through-ball, before Aribo himself was denied by the goalkeeper with a low shot from just inside the area.
Morelos headed wide on the end of a Kent cross and had a shot from 25-yards which went just over.
Into the second half, and Barisic came close with a 25-yard free-kick effort that found the side-netting, while Hagi blazed over from 18-yards when fed by Kent for a strike.
Wright was then desperately unlucky with a strike from the right of the box that came back off the inside of the post, while Barisic on the rebound saw a fearsome drive tipped over brilliantly by Alnwick.
Wright and Aribo dragged efforts from distance wide, while Alnwick denied Tavernier from a stunning 25-yard volley.
Morelos couldn’t turn in a Wright drilled cross into the net, while sub Scott Arfield clipped the outside of the post with a decent curling effort from inside the area.
But 2-0 is how it finished, with Gers now going into a three week winter break.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic, Kamara, Hagi (Fashion Jr, 68), Aribo, Wright, Kent (Arfield, 68), Morelos.
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Simpson, Patterson, Davis, Bacuna.
ST MIRREN: Alnwick, Tanser, Shaugnessy, Power, McGrath (Kiltie, 74), Flynn (Offord, 80), Main (Dennis, 56), Henderson, Erhahon, Dunne, Fraser.
SUBS NOT USED: Lyness, Reid, Erwin, Millar.