Gerrard lauds his Gers for braving storm

struggling Saints aside in a 2-0 win.

Asked what had pleased him most after late goals from Daniel Candeias and Alfredo Morelos sealed victory, the Rangers boss told RangersTV: “That the players stuck to the game plan, we didn’t panic and we showed excellent patience.

“I think a couple of moments aside when they had a strike on our goal and had a couple of set-piece moments, I think besides that, we completely controlled a lot of the game and obviously created the better chances.

“I always had confidence and belief it would come. I obviously wanted it to come a bit earlier than it did, but credit to the players that they stuck to the game plan, they didn’t change or panic, but eventually, we got our rewards.

“That is the pleasing thing. They didn’t get frustrated or try and play differently or go individual – we stayed as a team, we kept passing it as a team and we kept creating some really good chances.”

Eros Grezda came close just after half-time when he smashed the base of Craig Samson’s post while the Buddies also survived somehow as Scott Arfield, Ovie Ejaria and Candeias all had goes at bundling the ball home amid a chaotic six-yard box scrap.

Gerrard added: “After the goal-line scramble, you were thinking if it was going to be one of those days, but I have to praise my players for sticking with it and eventually getting that breakthrough.

“It was thoroughly deserved, and I believe if the breakthrough had come a little earlier, we could have gone on to win even more comfortably than we did.”