A stoppage-time sucker punch condemned St Mirren to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Ibrox on Wednesday night. Bojan Miovski lifted the ball over Jacob Chapman in the first minute of added time to break the visitors' resistance and secure all three points for Rangers.
Stephen Robinson's side, who sit fourth in the Premiership with 10 points from six games, were left to rue a missed chance by Fraser Taylor after the break. The result extends a difficult recent run for the Buddies, who have now lost two of their last three league matches.
Chapman's heroics in vain
Australian goalkeeper Jacob Chapman was the standout performer for St Mirren, making six key saves to keep the score level for 90 minutes. He denied Nico Raskin from close range in the first half and produced a fine double stop after the interval, first parrying a Djeidi Gassama effort and then blocking Badredine Bouanani's follow-up drive. Chapman also thwarted Ryan Naderi and prevented a dangerous moment from a wayward Calvin Ramsay clearance.
St Mirren's defensive effort was disciplined, restricting Rangers to few clear-cut chances despite the home side's 18 attempts. Louis Jackson, aged 20, made his debut for the club, replacing loanee Paul Nsio. The visitors failed to win a single corner all game, underlining their focus on containment.
A moment of quality decides it
The game's decisive moment arrived deep into added time. A flick from substitute Ryan Naderi, who had scored the winner against Motherwell recently, found Miovski in space. The Rangers forward calmly lofted the ball over the advancing Chapman to spark wild celebrations among the home support.
St Mirren had created a golden opportunity to take a shock lead earlier in the second half. Fraser Taylor found himself in a promising position but could not convert, a moment that proved costly. Declan John, a former Rangers player, also came close for the Buddies, screwing a shot just past the far post with ten minutes remaining.
McInnes returns, injuries mount
Derek McInnes was back in the technical area for Rangers after serving a two-game touchline suspension. His side were dealing with significant injury blows, including skipper Lawrence Shankland who is out for three to four months with a hamstring tear. Long-term absentee Youssef Chermiti is also sidelined with an ACL injury.
For St Mirren, the absence of Keanu Baccus, Liam Donnelly and Malik Dijksteel from the squad was noted. The team's current injury list is tracked on our injuries page. New signing Kevin Kelsy, a £9million-plus arrival from Portland Timbers, was an unused substitute, while loanee Badredine Bouanani made his debut from the start.
The defeat leaves St Mirren looking to regroup ahead of their next Premiership assignment, an away trip to face Hibernian on 30 December. Hibs currently sit eighth in the table. Robinson's men will aim to bounce back and stays in the top half, with the full league standings showing them just eight points behind leaders Celtic.
