By Mark Dingwall
Saturday, 6th March 2021, Scottish Premiership
Rangers strode to within a single point of winning the championship with a fine performance at Ibrox today.
Two goals in two first half minutes all but killed the game as a contest as Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos took centre stage.
The lineup had a familiar look with only Hagi replacing Arfield in the lineup which won 1-0 against Livingston in midweek.
In the 14th minute Kent collected the ball just outside of the D of the penalty area – checked his run and changed direction and shot straight into the net.
Two minutes later Alfredo Morelos was put through the box by Glenn Kamara – as he headed slightly away from goal to the right he shot across the keeper and in at the far post.
Those two goals took the sting out of the match and effectively killed it as a completion – Rangers were comfortable in possession and unhurried.
The second half started brightly and in 26 seconds Rangers were 3-0 up. Kent took the ball down the left wing before firing across a busy penalty box on the ground – Hagi collected the ball at the right and had enough time to collect and steady himself before cooly placing his shot into the net.
Around the hour mark a flurry of substitutions showed both mangers had an eye on forthcoming challenges. St Mirren were far from disgraced but the game took on the air of a training run for both sides.
Now all Rangers eyes are on Tannadice tomorrow where Dundee United play Celtic and a slip up could give Rangers the title by default.
RANGERS: McGregor, Patterson, Goldson, Helander (Balogun 60), Barisic, Kamara, Davis (Arfield 60), Aribo, Hagi (Wright 74), Morelos (Defoe 74), Kent (Stewart 80)
SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Simpson, Itten
ST MIRREN: Alnwick, Tait, Shaughnessy, McCarthy, Doyle-Hayes, Durmus (McAllister 55), McGrath (Flynn 71), Connolly (MacPherson 71), Fraser, Erhahon (Reid 88), Quaner (Obika 55)
SUBS: Erwin, Lyness, Henderson, Jamieson
