GERS ONE MORE GAME

He said: “The players have been okay so far, and by the time we get round to Thursday, there will be a lot of concentration on that game and they know what they have to do.

“They have to go to Pittodrie, which is always a difficult place to go, and they have to win the game. All our efforts will be focused on that.

“Both places are difficult places to go and win. Dundee United have played very well against Rangers, and they have played well against most of the clubs this season.

“It’s a game that I imagine will be a tight one, as will our game at Pittodrie. Nobody knows what is going to happen in the games so hopefully we can play as well as we can and give ourselves a chance of winning. Then we will see what happens.”

Asked if he truly believes Rangers can still wrest Celtic’s crown, Smith replied: “We’ve got a much better chance than we had last season. So we will see where that takes us. We have to win and see if Celtic can win their game at Tannadice and that’s the situation.”

Celtic fans must have been worried when Boyd rifled home after just four minutes but the goal-fest Rangers fans had hoped for did not quite materialise, although Darcheville did help himself to a a brace either side of the interval.

“We were pleased with the performance,” said Smith. “We started the game well and got ahead and increased the lead so we had a good first half. We also played well in the second half and kept St Mirren in their own half.

“One or two chances went begging but we got another goal so we are pleased with the result and the performance.”

The match at Love Street was the 66th of 68 games Rangers will play before an epic season comes to an end.

Smith said: “I think the players overall have handled the situation very well and there were no great signs of fatigue in our play tonight and I felt we handled the situation very well.”

Star defender Carlos Cuellar missed the trip to Paisley through suspension but this match was all about goals as far as Rangers were concerned and Walter Smith started with three attacking players - Nacho Novo, Boyd and Darcheville.

But they went for broke in a bid to save their season ahead of a final night SPL showdown at Pittodrie.

That policy paid off almost immediately and the Ibrox side were ahead as early as the fourth minute.
Steven Davis’ cross found Kirk Broadfoot unmarked in the box and he flicked a teasing ball across the face of goal. Novo failed to connect but Boyd was on hand to rifle home from close range.

Rangers failed to capitalise on the momentum of the early opening goal and Saints were handed an opportunity to restore parity when Christian Dailly was deemed to have fouled Billy Mehmet 30 yards out.

Franco Miranda’s free-kick was met by Will Haining but his powerful header was held by goalkeeper Neil Alexander. Stephen McGinn then nodded narrowly over for the home side.

Following a flurry of activity from Saints, Rangers pushed forward and had the net bulging again with 23 minutes on the clock.

Stephen O’Donnell accidentally stood on the ball and gifted possession to Darcheville 20 yards out, and he had plenty of time to tee up a low, right-footed shot that left goalkeeper Mark Howard with little chance.

The match then erupted when Kevin Thomson appeared to kick the ball off the prostrate Hugh Murray, sparking a melee involving both sets of players, which saw those two, Mehmet and Steven Whittaker go into referee Craig Thomson’s book.

Rangers could have added to their lead a minute from the interval. Boyd failed to find the target with a header from a Davis cross and the ball broke to Darcheville, whose overhead kick cracked off the post.
Smith’s half-time message would surely have been to ask for more of the same and only last-gasp defending from Saints kept the scoreline down after the restart.

Novo collected the ball just inside the 18-yard box and tried his luck with a curling effort that looked destined for the keeper’s top left-hand corner until Haining cleared off the line.

The visitors continued to press and a smart shot from Darcheville was spilled by Howard but Rangers failed to capitalise on the resultant corner.

The Frenchman then turned provider only for Boyd to fail to connect properly in front of goal, before Howard held a David Weir header from Thomson’s free-kick.

Rangers’ hard work paid off when the St Mirren keeper was left fishing the ball out of the net again with 69 minutes gone.

This time, Boyd’s lay-off found Barry Ferguson and the skipper played in Darcheville, who slotted under the body of Howard from 12 yards.

Ferguson himself could then have snatched a goal had he not fired over from close range after running onto Boyd’s flick-on.

Novo was withdrawn with 15 minutes to go to make way for DaMarcus Beasley, who made his first appearance since sustaining knee ligament damage back in November. Darcheville was then replaced by Daniel Cousin.

As the clock ran down, Rangers claimed Boyd’s header was handled on the line by Gary Mason but hopes of a late penalty - and another goal - were in vain.

Saints boss Gus MacPherson predicts both Aberdeen and Dundee United will be just as committed as his team were tonight when they face the Old Firm rivals, insisting: “There is no question about it.”

But, as for the outcome of the title race, he added: “I’m not interested. I am going to Sporting Gijon in Spain for my pro-licence club visit and I couldn’t give a toss!”

On his own players’ performance against Rangers, MacPherson said: “The most important thing was their pride because that is what they were going to be judged on.

“The game plan goes out the window when you lose an early goal and then the second one goes in and you’re worried. But I couldn’t question the players’ commitment.”

ST MIRREN: Howard, Barron, Haining, Potter, Miranda, McGinn (Hamilton 56), Murray, Dorman, Mason, O’Donnell, Mehmet. Subs not used: Smith, Dargo, McCay, Docherty, McAusland, Burns.
RANGERS: Alexander, Broadfoot, Dailly, Weir, Whittaker, Davis, Thomson, Ferguson, Novo (Beasley 77), Boyd, Darcheville (Cousin 81). Subs not used: Graeme Smith, Faye, Furman, McMillan, Fleck.