Rangers Rescue Point At St Mirren But Russell Martin Struggles Continue

Teenager Findlay Curtis rescued ragged Rangers pinch a precocious onslaught successful a 1-1 Scottish Premiership tie astatine St Mirren to time off Russell Martin still looking for his first convention triumph successful charge.

The visitors started without a recognised centre-forward pinch midfielder Thelo Aasgaard starring nan statement and they recovered themselves down successful nan 33rd infinitesimal erstwhile Saints striker Jonah Ayunga raced done to hit goalkeeper Jack Butland. Martin changed strategies and unit successful nan 2nd half and successful nan 78th minute, 18-year-old substitute Curtis drilled successful nan equaliser pinch his 3rd extremity of nan play but it near under-fire Martin pinch 3 wins successful 9 games arsenic Rangers caput coach.

Martin’s broadside person now drawn against Motherwell, Dundee and nan Buddies, nan first clip since 1989 that Rangers person gone without a triumph successful their first 3 convention games. Celtic tin spell 9 points clear of their rivals if they triumph nan Old Firm crippled astatine Ibrox adjacent Sunday. First Rangers person to rescue their Champions League hopes pinch a travel to Club Brugge connected Wednesday, wherever they look to claw backmost a 3-1 shortage from nan first limb of nan playoff.

There were eyebrows raised earlier nan crippled erstwhile it emerged that Aasgaard’s first commencement would beryllium astatine centre-forward pinch Danilo and Hamza Igamane starting connected nan chair and Cyriel Dessers still injured.

Inside 5 minutes, Saints goalkeeper Shamal George made a good prevention from Oliver Antman’s 20-yard drive. In nan 21st minute, Buddies’ battling midfielder Killian Phillips ended a good move by sclaffing his changeable from 14 yards and, astatine nan different end, Cameron volleyed a dipping transverse from left-back Jayden Meghoma.

St Mirren looked sharper and much fierce and striker Mikael Mandron conscionable grounded to get capable connected a terrific Phillips transverse to nan backmost post. However, erstwhile Mandron divided unfastened nan visiting defence pinch an incisive walk to chap guardant Ayunga, he near nan visitors’ skipper John Souttar trailing and confidently drove nan shot past Butland.

Russell Martin watched his caller Rangers squad struggle erstwhile again. Photograph: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Rangers fought backmost and minutes later George someway managed to claw nan shot distant from Aasgaard conscionable yards from goal, earlier clutching Djeidi Gassama’s curling changeable from nan separator of nan box.

Martin was forced to return action astatine nan break arsenic Danilo and Mikey Moore replaced Antman and Meghoma and he went to a backmost three. But it was not agelong earlier Butland dived to prevention Ayunga’s angled-drive and nan hosts, stronger and much cohesive, continued to threaten.

St Mirren’s last changeable aliases walk fto them down connected respective occasions and they were made to salary erstwhile Curtis – connected for Joe Rothwell – picked up a clearance from a area and drilled a changeable debased past George and into nan net. Rangers pressed for nan victor successful nan last stages and George made a bully prevention from substitute James Tavernier’s agelong scope changeable and Butland tipped an Alex Gogic header complete nan crossbar, arsenic nan lucifer ended successful excitement and boos from nan travelling fans astatine nan last whistle.