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“I AM DECLARING MYSELF A HUGE RANGERS FC ENEMY TODAY” — ST MIRREN BOSS FUMES AFTER SHOCKING RANGERS LOSS
Rangers finally gave their supporters something to celebrate as Derek McInnes’ side produced a stunning second-half display to destroy St Mirren 5–1 and book their place in the next round of the Scottish League Cup.
After a miserable opening to life under McInnes, the pressure around Ibrox had been building rapidly.
The Rangers boss arrived at the club with enormous expectations, but his first competitive matches had produced no wins, while the Europa League disappointment had only intensified the frustration among supporters.
A home meeting with St Mirren therefore represented another huge test.
And this time, Rangers responded.
The visitors had plenty of reasons to believe they could cause an upset.
St Mirren entered the contest as the defending League Cup holders and had already been warned against underestimating Rangers despite the Glasgow giants’ difficult start to the season.
Their manager Craig McLeish had insisted before the match that there was never a good time to visit Ibrox, even with Rangers struggling for results.
Unfortunately for McLeish, his prediction proved correct.
NADERI GETS RANGERS MOVING
Rangers needed only nine minutes to break the deadlock.
Ryan Naderi opened the scoring to give McInnes’ team an early advantage and immediately lift the atmosphere inside Ibrox.
The goal was exactly what Rangers needed.
Rather than allowing the pressure surrounding the club to grow, the early breakthrough gave the players confidence and allowed them to attack with greater freedom.
Then came one of the moments of the afternoon.
Vanja Dragojevic doubled Rangers’ advantage in the 18th minute with a spectacular strike, putting the home side firmly in control.
At 2–0, Rangers appeared to be heading towards a comfortable victory.
But St Mirren refused to surrender.
MOCHRIE GIVES ST MIRREN HOPE
The visitors pulled one back before half-time.
Christopher Mochrie found the net in the 30th minute, cutting Rangers’ advantage to 2–1 and giving St Mirren genuine hope of completing a comeback.
Suddenly, the pressure returned to the hosts.
Rangers had already demonstrated this season that they could dominate periods of matches without finding the consistency required to finish teams off.
A single St Mirren goal had changed the mood.
McInnes, however, clearly wanted a different response from his players.
And they delivered it.
RANGERS EXPLODE AFTER HALF-TIME
Whatever was said inside the Rangers dressing room during the interval appeared to work.
Rangers came flying out after the restart and scored twice in the space of two minutes.
Djeidi Gassama restored the two-goal advantage in the 52nd minute before James Penrice made it 4–1 just two minutes later.
For St Mirren, the game had suddenly disappeared.
For Rangers, it was the performance their supporters had been waiting for.
Penrice’s goal was particularly significant as he made his Rangers debut, immediately introducing himself to the Ibrox crowd in spectacular fashion.
The home side continued pushing forward despite having already established a commanding advantage.
St Mirren simply could not cope with the intensity.
McCAUSLAND PUTS THE ICING ON THE CAKE
Rangers eventually completed the rout in the 74th minute.
Ross McCausland found the net to make it 5–1, sending the Ibrox supporters into another celebration.
The final scoreline was emphatic.
Rangers had scored five goals, produced a vastly improved second-half performance and finally secured Derek McInnes’ first victory as manager.
The Press Association described the result as a thumping 5–1 victory, marking McInnes’ first win since taking charge of Rangers.
A NIGHT TO FORGET FOR ST MIRREN
For McLeish and his St Mirren players, the afternoon could hardly have gone worse.
The League Cup holders travelled to Ibrox knowing they were facing a Rangers side under pressure, but instead of exploiting that uncertainty, they were overwhelmed after the break.
The 2–1 half-time score suggested there was still a contest to be played.
The second half proved completely different.
Rangers scored three unanswered goals and turned a potentially difficult cup tie into a comfortable victory.
For St Mirren, the defeat will be particularly frustrating because they had managed to stay within touching distance during the opening 45 minutes.
But once Gassama and Penrice struck in quick succession, there was no way back.
RANGERS FINALLY HAVE MOMENTUM
For McInnes, however, this result could prove to be much more than a routine cup victory.
Rangers desperately needed a response after their difficult opening weeks.
The club had endured European disappointment and a poor start domestically, with McInnes already facing questions over his ability to turn things around.
The 5–1 victory does not suddenly solve every problem at Ibrox.
But it gives Rangers something they have been missing: momentum.
Five goals, five different scorers and a dominant second half could provide the confidence needed for the next stage of the season.
For St Mirren, meanwhile, the defeat serves as a painful reminder of just how difficult it is to survive at Ibrox when Rangers finally find their rhythm.
And after this emphatic result, it is the Rangers supporters who will be smiling all the way home
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