Tuur Rommens made the difference as Rangers stuttered to within striking distance of the Scottish Premiership leaders, Hearts, with an unconvincing 1-0 win at St Mirren.
Hearts’ defeat at Kilmarnock on Saturday opened the door for Danny Röhl’s team, while second-placed Celtic’s home win over Motherwell earlier in the day also turned the heat up on Derek McInnes’s side.
Amid a swirling wind in Paisley, Rangers took advantage and just after the half-hour mark the left-back Rommens scored his first goal since signing from the Belgian side Westerlo in January with a close-range finish.
It was a slog for the visitors who could not add to their lead but with eight fixtures remaining, Rangers are three points behind Hearts and one point behind Celtic in a three-way title fight.
Battling St Mirren, who lost their manager Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen during the week, barely troubled the visiting keeper Jack Butland and they ended the day still in 10th place, above Kilmarnock on goal difference.
On Saturday, Tomas Cvancara converted another crucial penalty as a major intervention by the video assistant referee helped second-placed Celtic come from behind to beat Motherwell 3-1.
The Czech striker followed up his Scottish Cup penalty shootout winner at Ibrox with Celtic’s second goal in the 72nd minute after Emmanuel Longelo had been dismissed for a challenge on Daizen Maeda. The referee, John Beaton, had initially given a goal-kick, but a lengthy look at the VAR monitor at the behest of Kevin Clancy changed the complexion of the game.
The Motherwell manager, Jens Berthel Askou, questioned why the Celtic midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was not sent off after a challenge on the New Zealand international Elijah Just. “I don’t see anything vicious in the tackle,” he said. “It’s just a little bit clumsy, but it’s still a tackle that almost wipes out Eli’s opportunity of going to the World Cup.”
Both sides had scored in the first half courtesy of some high pressing, Motherwell through Just. Yang Hyun-jun quickly levelled and the winger rounded off the scoring as the 10-man visitors took risks.
Martin O’Neill hailed Yang’s performance. “He was sensational. He scored the goals, but it was the work he did going backwards too. I wouldn’t know what sort of distances he covered, but it would have been immense.”
Later on Saturday, Hearts slipped to a costly 1-0 defeat at Rugby Park. Michael Schjønning-Larsen’s first-half goal proved decisive for Kilmarnock, who held firm thereafter to move nine points clear of the bottom side, Livingston.
Hearts fell behind in the 17th minute as Greg Kiltie stepped away from Harry Milne on the right and fizzed over a tantalising delivery to the back post, where Schjønning-Larsen nipped in unchecked to notch his first goal for Killie from just inside the six-yard box.
Hearts went close in the 22nd minute when Blair Spittal released Cláudio Braga on the left and the Portuguese forward saw a powerful low shot beaten away by Kelle Roos. Tomas Magnusson and Spittal had later chances but Kilmarnock held on.
Hibernian struck the woodwork twice in a goalless draw with Livingston. David Gray’s side closed the gap on fourth-placed Motherwell to six points, but will be disappointed the deficit was not smaller before next week’s trip to Fir Park.
A late Falkirk leveller denied Stephen Robinson victory in his first match as Aberdeen head coach as Barney Stewart’s goal cancelled out Kevin Nisbet’s opener. Robinson was appointed on Thursday, nine and a half weeks after Jimmy Thelin’s departure.
Aberdeen took the lead after 73 minutes, Nisbet blocking the Falkirk keeper Scott Bain’s clearance before nodding home from close range for his ninth goal of the season. Stewart headed home a cross from Ethan Ross a minute from time to earn a share of the points.
Sunday’s other match featured a thrilling end to the derby at Dens Park where Dundee came storming back with two dramatic stoppage-time goals to secure a 2-2 draw with Dundee United.
Following a goalless first half, United took the lead after the break when the impressive Amar Fatah converted a penalty before Luca Stephenson added a second.
The game looked to be beyond the home side until Hay stabbed in from close range. And the unlikely comeback was complete when Fin Robertson delivered a dangerous free-kick into the United box which the visiting captain, Ross Graham, headed past his own keeper, to the delight of the home fans.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hearts | 30 | 27 | 63 |
| 2 | Celtic | 30 | 24 | 61 |
| 3 | Rangers | 30 | 27 | 60 |
| 4 | Motherwell | 30 | 26 | 53 |
| 5 | Hibernian | 30 | 13 | 47 |
| 6 | Falkirk | 30 | 0 | 43 |
| 7 | Dundee Utd | 30 | -10 | 34 |
| 8 | Dundee | 30 | -17 | 32 |
| 9 | Aberdeen | 30 | -12 | 30 |
| 10 | St Mirren | 30 | -23 | 24 |
| 11 | Kilmarnock | 30 | -27 | 24 |
| 12 | Livingston | 30 | -28 | 15 |
