KEMAR ROOFE’s first Rangers hat-trick helped to secure the all-important three Scottish Premiership points this afternoon with a 4-0 win at St Mirren.
Always a tough place to go, this was the Light Blues’ biggest win in Paisley since they made the move from Love Street in 2009, and along with it came a strong performance in which Joe Aribo added a sensational fourth goal on top of Roofe’s trio.
Manager Gio van Bronckhorst named five changes to his side - from the team that played Braga on Thursday night, in came Fil Helander, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Aribo, Kemar Roofe and Borna Barisic.
They took the places of Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Helander and Barisic in front of him.
John Lundstram, Aribo and Ramsey were in the middle of the park, while Fashion Jr and Ryan Kent played in support of Roofe.
Balogun, Kamara and Arfield made the bench this afternoon next to Jon McLaughlin, Amad, Steven Davis, James Sands, Scott Wright and Leon King.
The visitors began the game with total, uninterrupted possession, and they made the most of that to grab a perfect start inside two minutes.
James Tavernier got to the bye-line down the right on the end of a super Connor Goldson ball and delivered – his cross reached Ryan Kent out in the far left of the box, and he chipped one into the area for Kemar Roofe to brilliantly head past Dean Lyness and into the back of the net for his 13th of the campaign.
It was Goldson who popped up with the next effort – surprisingly finding himself 25-yards from goal, he took on the shot which sailed just over.
The 26th minute saw a blow for the visitors as John Lundstram was forced off with injury, and his place was taken by Steven Davis in the middle of the park.
Tavernier sent a free-kick effort over the bar as Gers threatened again, while Lyness held on well to a Ramsey effort from 20-yards.
A further injury blow was to come for Rangers right on half time – Helander limped off and was replaced by Leon King for his first.
Then in three minutes of added time at the end of the half, the game really burst into life. Firstly, Roofe got in behind the home defence to cut one back for Ramsey, but from just inside the area and with Lyness scampering off his line, his effort came back off the crossbar.
But Gers weren’t to be denied – they flooded forward again and Tavernier from that bye-line again stood up a super ball to the back post for Roofe to head home his second.
The interval saw Scott Wright and James Sands replace Kent and Ramsey – perhaps with an eye on Thursday night’s return leg with Braga – and Wright almost had an immediate impact.
His pace and skill took him from midfield to the edge of the area in the blink of an eye, and he laid it off for Roofe to get an effort away, but a deflection took it into the arms of Lyness to deny him his hat-trick – for now.
That’s as on 51 minutes, Roofe did indeed get his hat-trick – his first in the colours of Rangers.
Gers did well to work it down the left this time and while Roofe’s first effort on the end of a Fashion Jr cross was blocked, the ball came back for him to sweep home from close range.
Wright should have made it four when he sent a low Barisic cross over, while he had another effort sent wide for a corner when he again burst from midfield.
Lyness clutched a Tavernier header out of the air at the back post, while fifth and final sub Amad shot wide when put in by Fashion Jr for a shot after Aribo brilliantly turned the ball over in midfield.
Lyness denied Tavernier with a close-range stop, but the fourth arrived on 76 minutes thanks to a sensational Joe Aribo strike.
Fully 25-yards from goal out to the right, he hit a stunning, dipping effort that sailed over Lyness and nestled into the top right corner for 4-0.
Three minutes from time, McGregor was called into action for the first time in the afternoon with a stunning stop to push an Alex Grieve effort behind, but 4-0 is how it was to finish.
Now, it’s onto Thursday, and arguably the club’s biggest match in 14 years as they welcome Braga to Ibrox, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander (King, 45) Barisic, Lundstram (Davis, 26), Aribo, Ramsey (Sands, 46), Fashion Jr, Roofe (Amad, 63), Kent (Wright, 46)
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Kamara, Balogun, Arfield.
ST MIRREN: Lyness, Tait, Shaughnessy, Power, Jones (Erahon, 79), Brophy (Main, 63), Henderson (Greive, 63), Gogic, Dunne (McCarthy, 46), Fraser, Ronan.
SUBS NOT USED: Urminsky, Thompson, Smyth, Gallagher, Gilmartin.
REFEREE: John Beaton
ATTENDANCE: 6583
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