St Mirren goalkeeper Jacob Chapman is chipped by Bojan MiovskiSNS

Bojan Miovski chipped the only goal over goalkeeper Jacob Chapman

At a glance

  • String of Chapman saves deny Rangers in first half

  • Taylor squanders great chance for St Mirren after break

  • Miovski scores stoppage time winner as Rangers overtake visitors and move into into second place

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

Bojan Miovski came off the bench to break the deadlock in stoppage time - and spark wild scenes of celebration - as Rangers leapfrogged visitors St Mirren into second place in the Scottish Premiership.

Just as it looked like the Paisley side would leave the home fans frustrated after controlling the second half, substitute striker Miovski pounced on a Ryan Naderi flick to chip goalkeeper Jacob Chapman.

St Mirren were thrashed 5-1 as the holders were dumped out of the League Cup on their last visit nearly a month ago.

As they did then, Derek McInnes' side threatened to blow away the visitors in the early stages. Chapman had producing a string of fine saves to deny Naderi, Nicolas Raskin, Djeidi Gassama, Kevin Kelsy and even team-mate Calvin Ramsay.

As against Celtic on Saturday, St Mirren were a constant threat on the break, though, with centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez fortunate not to concede a spot kick for a late challenge, while Ramsay passed up two good chances.

The visitors had settled as Rangers appeared to run out of ideas, their 13 goal attempts and eight corners failing to find a breakthrough before half-time.

St Mirren survived, gradually started to exert control after the break and Fraser Taylor should have given them the lead when put through one-on-one with Ivor Pandur only to fire straight at the goalkeeper before Miovski snatched the points.

Wild celebrations after Rangers snatch late win

Rangers analysis: Relief as forgotten man pounces

Rangers had shown similar profligacy on Saturday, when one goal was just enough to dispose of Motherwell at Ibrox.

With Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland joining Youssef Chermiti as a long-term absentee, new signing Kelsy was handed a first start alongside Naderi. On-loan Stuttgart winger Badredine Bouanani made his debut, too.

The combination, with a switch to a 4-4-2 formation from the recently successful 4-2-3-1, immediately put the visitors under pressure.

Kelsy was hauled off just short of the hour mark but the change back to 4-2-3-1 appeared to make little difference as Rangers fans poured towards the exits while their expensively-assembled side looked more likely to concede than find a winner.

However Miovski, the forgotten man among Rangers' band of misfiring strikers, came to the rescue.

It is a sign of Rangers' times that a 1-0 home win over St Mirren was greeted with such over-the-top celebrations.

But perhaps it was understandable considering a draw would have left them seven points behind reigning champions Celtic before their double header against their city rivals in the League Cup and Premiership.

Graphic

St Mirren analysis: Carr & Kabia among positives

The League Cup thrashing at Ibrox was the St Mirren's only defeat in five trips away from Paisley this season and they had won the other four without conceding.

Having given reigning champions Celtic a fright on Saturday, manager Craig McLeish was looking for more of the same against the other side of the Old Firm.

However, with on-loan Rangers midfielder Paul Nsio unable to face his parent club, and Louis Jackson, the 20-year-old centre-back signed from Manchester United, handed his debut, the visitors took time to settle.

As against Celtic, Ismeal Kabia was a constant threat and it was the on-loan Arsenal winger who gradually worked the visitors into the game.

However, it was Ryan Carr, the 21-year-old summer arrival from Ipswich Town, who wrested control of the midfield from Rangers after the break.

He and his team-mates can count themselves unfortunate to have come away from two games against the Old Firm without at least a point after threatening a fourth consecutive away league win.

McLeish will surely take the positives from both performances while lamenting that golden chance missed by Taylor.

Player of the match

J. Chapman
7.62
28 B. Miovski
7.11
1 I. Pandur
6.70
29 J. Penrice
6.05
24 O. Makhanya
5.87
23 D. Gassama
5.63
20 R. Naderi
5.61
6 D. Neil
5.56
21 D. Sterling
5.51
43 N. Raskin
5.49
26 B. Bouanani
5.39
19 K. Kelsy
5.10
10 Kim Min-Su
5.07
37 E. Fernandez
4.87
52 F. Curtis
4.59
42 T. Chukwuani
4.58
14 C. Devlin
4.19
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