GRIFFITHS SALVAGES DRAW WITH LATE LEVELLER

Gerrard left frustrated as Saints snatch point with late penalty

STEVEN GERRARD lamented Rangers’ game management and a lacklustre performance as they were held to a 1-1 draw by St Johnstone.

A last-minute Liam Craig penalty cancelled out Scott Wright’s first goal for the champions but Rangers are now within three games of an unbeaten Premiership campaign as they prepare to welcome the Saints to Ibrox for their Scottish Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Craig scored from the spot after Rangers lost possession when Kemar

Roofe attempted to beat Zander Clarke from distance in the final stages of a low-key encounter at McDiarmid Park.

Gerrard would have no complaints about the share of the spoils, though, as Rangers emerged unscathed and welcomed back captain James Tavernier as he completed an hour before being replaced by Nathan Patterson.

Gerrard said: “I thought we started the game really slowly and finished it really slowly as well. Everything in between I thought we were just okay.

“I have got no complaints with the scoreline. As soon as Celtic finished, I made every decision tonight before the game and during the game with an eye on the weekend and I am content where we are because everyone is available and fit for selection.

“I gave the squad players some game time, which will be useful moving forward, James has come through fine and we nearly sneaked a result by just playing okay.

“We didn’t play any better than that. We should have seen the game out with better game management but unfortunately we never. But I think St Johnstone more than deserved something out of the game. Look, as a team we are 1-0 up and you have got to make better decisions, decisions for the team rather than yourself. But he has tried that before and scored from the halfway line so who am I to tell him?

“But, as a group, we have been really good this season with our game management and parking our ego up in the final moments of the game.

“Unfortunately tonight we paid for it. It was a penalty and it was a combination of small errors. But I think over the course of the 90 minutes St Johnstone deserved that little bit of luck.”