Rangers back on top after win
Rangers' 3-1 win over St Mirren allowed them to reclaim top spot in the Scottish Premier League even if the victory was not quite as impressive as Celtic's 24 hours earlier.
The Hoops' 9-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday saw them move into pole position and heap the pressure on their Old Firm rivals ahead of the lunchtime visit to New St Mirren Park.
But a Marc McAusland own goal and strikes from Steven Naismith and Kenny Miller saw Rangers return to the summit of the SPL, despite Michael Higdon netting from the penalty spot late on for Saints.
Vladimir Weiss was back in the Rangers side after being passed fit for the visit to Paisley. He recovered from a heel problem to make the starting line-up, with Kirk Broadfoot dropping to the bench following the midweek Champions League defeat in Valencia.
St Mirren made one change from their win over Aberdeen last week, with Hugh Murray replacing Higdon for the visit of the Scottish champions.
Danny Lennon's men could have snatched an early opener had Paul McGowan been more clinical with a shot just outside the area which trundled harmlessly past the post, failing to trouble Allan McGregor in the Rangers goal.
St Mirren then had the ball in the back of the net after 13 minutes but referee Craig Thomson had already blown for a foul on McGregor, after Gareth Wardlaw clattered into the Rangers number one, before Aaron Mooy rifled home.
Rangers had the chance to pile on the pressure when Weiss won a free-kick on the edge of the box and Saints could only look on in relief as Steven Davis' curling effort sailed above the wall and hit the crossbar.
Murray had picked up the first booking for a challenge on Maurice Edu and he was joined in the referee's book by David van Zanten and Weiss who were both cautioned after clashing with each other.
With half-time fast approaching, Sasa Papac teed up the header for Edu at the back post but the American nodded well over, before Papac himself fired wide of the upright.
Rangers then had a goal disallowed just before the break when Naismith and Craig Samson both went for the ball which ended up in the back of the net.
The effort was chalked off, although the goalkeeper's frustrated reaction suggested he thought he had just conceded the opener, rather than being the victim of a foul.
Any controversy over their disallowed goal was tempered when Rangers did take the lead three minutes after the restart.
Kyle Lafferty replaced Weiss at the break and he got the slightest of touches on a Davis cross before McAusland nodded into the back of his own net to hand Walter Smith's men the advantage.
Naismith then added his own name to the scoresheet after 58 minutes, when Lafferty delivered a lovely ball across the face of goal from the left and all that was required was the simplest of finishes to tap home from a few yards.
It was proving to be a nightmare afternoon for McAusland, who failed to deal with a long ball, before being robbed of possession by Miller, who gleefully dispatched a low shot past Samson after 68 minutes.
Saints could have hauled themselves back into the game when Madjid Bougherra's attempts to clear a Jure Travner effort saw him hit his own crossbar, before McGregor pulled off a superb save to deny Wardlaw from the rebound.
The Buddies did manage to pull a goal back after 75 minutes when Davis was ruled to have handled in the area. Papac earned himself a caution for his furious protests before substitute Higdon converted from the penalty spot.
Rangers could have restored their three-goal lead when Lafferty's cutback was met by Miller who lashed well over. He knew he should have done better although by then there was little doubt the points would be returning to Ibrox.
Rangers manager Walter Smith insists he had no complaints about the performance of referee Craig Thomson despite having a goal disallowed and conceding a penalty.
Rangers could have been ahead earlier in the game when Steven Naismith and goalkeeper Craig Samson combined to put the ball in the back of the net shortly before the end of a goalless first half, only for the effort to be chalked off.
Thomson apparently deemed Naismith to have fouled Jure Travner in the build-up and Smith was willing to accept that explanation at a time when match officials have been increasingly under the spotlight.
He said: "The referee said there was a foul in the box, on another player but not on the goalkeeper, and that's that.
"It was hardly an injustice. Injustice is a strong word. If the referee sees another infringement and explains it, then that's fine."
Saints pulled a goal back late on when substitute Michael Higdon converted from the penalty spot after Steven Davis was ruled to have handled in the box.
Smith added: "With Davis it clearly hits him on the arm. We are not arguing about that."
The victory allowed Rangers to leapfrog Celtic back into pole position, even if the win was not quite as impressive or emphatic as the Hoops' 9-0 thrashing of Aberdeen 24 hours earlier.
"In the first half we had a lot of possession without creating a great many opportunities," Smith said. "St Mirren were very well set up and it was difficult to get through them. I felt we needed to lift the pace of the game which we did after the interval and started to create a few opportunities and got the goals."
Smith credited Kyle Lafferty with providing a spark when he was introduced at half-time, although the Rangers manager believes all his players deserved credit for their second half display.
"Kyle came on and played very well and was instrumental in a couple of the goals but I think we generally started with more purpose and played a bit quicker than we did in the first half, which I think was the most important factor in our win.
"That was our first real spell of concerted pressure. The main talking point at half-time was to raise the pace and hem St Mirren in if possible."
Saints boss Danny Lennon refused to be too downbeat about the defeat.
"We will take more positives than negatives from the game and that's my message to the players," he said. "That's why Rangers and Celtic are so far ahead - they have quality players and the mentality to keep going for 90 minutes. Very rarely at this level do they switch off."