RANGERS were held to a 1-1 draw by St. Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium in their final Scottish Premiership outing before the World Cup break this afternoon.
After enjoying the better of the game in the opening 45 minutes, the Gers suffered a setback early in the second half as Jonah Ayunga struck from a long throw-in routine.
The Light Blues had to wait until ten minutes from time to level the contest, with James Tavernier dispatching from the penalty spot after Ryan Kent was fouled following a driving run, but a winning goal proved elusive for Rangers in Paisley.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst named three changes to his starting lineup for the trip to Paisley, with Alfredo Morelos, Glen Kamara and Scott Wright coming into the side.
The Light Blues began the match with a spring in their step, with Declan Gallagher forced to turn a wicked delivery from James Tavernier behind for a corner.
Minutes later, Malik Tillman picked up possession in a dangerous area between the lines. After nutmegging his marker, the American contrived to drag his shot off target as the Gers went in search of an early opener.
Kamara was proving a danger in the opening exchanges for the Paisley side, threading a gorgeous slide rule pass into the path of Morelos on 11 minutes who fired over the crossbar from distance.
The visitors engineered a promising chance again five minutes later through a well-worked crossing move. Borna Barisic was fed by Ryan Kent down the left-hand side and, after standing a beautiful cross up to the far post, Wright steamed in to power a header towards goal that required a superb reaction stop from Trevor Carson.
Wright was a particular bright spark early in the contest, dragging another effort wide from 20 yards after ghosting past two St. Mirren defenders on the counter-attack for Rangers.
The Buddies’ threat in the opening half-hour was limited, but they threatened in the 28th minute as Greg Kiltie flashed a dangerous ball across goal that Rangers were grateful to watch trickle beyond Mark O’Hara at the far post.
A promising Gers attack was halted minutes later for an apparent foul on Declan Gallagher as Tillman closed in on goal, much to the frustration of the Rangers boss on the touchline.
Curtis Main glanced a header wide on the stroke of half-time as the home side enjoyed a sequence of corners before referee Kevin Clancy blew his whistle for the interval.
Rangers then fell behind two minutes into the second half. Main was the first to react to Gallagher’s long throw-in at the near post, with the ball finding its way to Jonah Ayunga stabbing instinctively towards the Gers goal. Allan McGregor did exceptionally well to deny the St. Mirren forward at the first time of asking, but the rebound fell invitingly back to the 25-year-old and he had the simplest of tasks to slot home.
Ryan Jack replaced Leon King just shy of the hour mark after a lengthy stoppage following a head knock sustained by the Scotland U21 international.
A promising move from Rangers on 70 minutes saw Kent collect the ball on the left touchline. After doing ever so well to shimmy inside two St. Mirren challenges, however, he could only shoot off target from the corner of the penalty area.
Tavernier then rose highest at the far post to meet Kent’s in-swinging delivery from the left-hand side, but the Gers captain agonisingly steered his header wide of Carson’s goal.
Ayunga threatened to double the lead for the hosts in the 77th minute, getting the better of Lundstram in a physical battle before lashing an effort inches wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Rangers were then awarded a penalty with ten minutes remaining after Kent was brought down inside the penalty area by Marcus Fraser following a menacing run. After initially being booked for simulation, VAR intervened to adjudge that the winger had been caught, with Tavernier stepping up to slot home the penalty with aplomb.
Nine minutes of stoppage time was announced as Tillman won a free-kick from a promising angle on the left, although St. Mirren cleared Barisic’s delivery to safety.
Robbie Ure was introduced as an aerial threat in stoppage time as the 18-year-old made his league debut in a Rangers jersey, but the Light Blues had to settle for a point despite Jack’s late headed opportunity.
ST. MIRREN: Carson, Fraser, Gallagher, Dunne, Strain (Gogic, 90), Kiltie (Baccus, 77), Erhahon, O’Hara, Tanser, Ayunga (Grieve, 77), Main.
Subs not used: Urminsky, Shaughnessy, Reid, Flynn, Henderson, Brophy.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Sands, King (Jack, 59), Barisic (Ure, 90), Kamara (Arfield, 45), Lundstram, Tillman, Wright, Morelos, Kent.
Subs not used: McLaughlin, Davis, Matondo, McCann, Devine, Yfeko.
REFEREE: Kevin Clancy