CYRIEL STRIKE PROVES METTLE
PHILIPPE CLEMENT’S Rangers side showed tenacity and bravery to dig out a huge win in Paisley yesterday to keep their Premiership title dream alive.
The Belgian and his team have faced serious questions over whether they possess the mettle for this flag fight after blowing their lead over rivals Celtic.
Those doubts came flooding back at the SMISA Stadium yesterday as the Gers allowed Stephen Robinson’s Euro-chasing St Mirren to hit back through Mikael Mandron just five minutes after James Bolton’s own goal had gifted them a lead.
Clement’s side really needed to man up.
In skipper James Tavernier they’ve got a captain who consistently stands strong, even when faced with harsh criticism – and it was his vicious delivery which made it easy for Cyriel Dessers to clinch a huge 2-1 win with his 20th goal of the season.
Woe
The Buddies had lost 18 of their previous 19 top-flight clashes against Gers – a run of woe stretching back to 2011.
It was the Gers who found the opener on 32 minutes as goalkeeper Zach Hemming was under no pressure as he flapped at a Borna Barisic cross.
But his spill landed for Mohamed Diomande to head the ball backcross the goalline, where Bolton was forced to put through his own net under pressure from Dessers.
Clement breathed a sigh of relief at the breakthrough. But he was just glad to see his side were not trailing by half-time.
Rangers’ lead lasted all of five minutes.
A floated Mark O’Hara cross should have been easy enough for Balogun to deal with but, when the Nigeria cap took his eye off Mandron, the French-born target man slipped his marker before aiming a perfect header past Butland in off a post.