GERS TURN TO THE BOTTLE AT XMAS

Gerrard’s battlers show their mettle to net

Sir Alex Ferguson used to say the manner in which you react to a defeat is an essential part of what makes you a winner.

This victory for Rangers following their shock loss to St Mirren in midweek could go a long way to seeing them finally crowned champions.

It felt like a pivotal day in the title race as the Light Blues took the chance to move a massive 16 points clear at the Scottish Premiership summit.

Steven Gerrard’s men had failed to win any of their games following their four domestic cup defeats in the former England captain’s f irst two seasons at the Ibrox helm.

Tha t run looked l i ke extending to a fifth game as Motherwell stubbornly clung on to the sixth- minute lead handed to them by Callum Lang’s opener following more slack defending by Gers.

With rivals hoping a first defeat of the season against the Buddies in the Betfred Cup would result in more bottle crashing the pressure was on.

Gerrard’s men proved their bouncebackability with three goals in the final 17 minutes.

Kemar Roofe’s double – making it an impressive eight goals in eight league starts – came either side of substitute

Cedric Itten’s header. The victory made it 10-in-a-row wins in the league and it was a giant step towards stopping rivals Celtic achieving exactly that this season.

The 16-point gap at the top is a big psychological boost two weeks before the Old Firm derby at Ibrox.

Gerrard simply had to get a reaction from his troops after the loss in Paisley and he got it with this result.

They toiled for long spells to break down a Well side who arrived without a win in five and deployed an unconventional 5-5- 0 set-up. Defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Cup quarter-final last season was a real low point for Gerrard, who was left considering his future after the loss.

Yet that reverse could prove a blessing in the long run.

With Celtic having played two games in that competition including today’s final, it has given the Light Blues the chance to stretch their league lead over the champions.

Alfredo Morelos was serving the second of his two- game retrospective ban.

Gerrard brought back all the rest of his big guns after taking the blame for the defeat in

Paisley where he opted to mix it up and paid the price.

Inf luential midfield duo Steven Davis and Glen Kamara were back in the engine room, Jermain Defoe was handed a start in attack and Borna Barisic and Filip Helander came in at the back.

The latter was an enforced change due to Leon Balogun’s injury in midweek.

The Steelmen arrived in Govan on the back of a threegame losing streak as they looked for their first win at Ibrox in the top flight in 23 years.

It was clear from the outset that Stephen Robinson’s game plan was to get everyone behind the ball.

That’s why it was an even