Match ends, Rangers 3, St. Mirren 1.
RangersRangers3St MirrenSt Mirren1
- Wallace with first-half double
- Howieson pulls one back for St Mirren
- Thompson misses penalty for visitors
- Shiels scores late third for Rangers
Mark Warburton's Rangers reign continued with another dominant win as St Mirren were dispatched in the opening game of the league season.
Lee Wallace had the home side ahead early when he fired a loose ball into the roof of the net and raced through unmarked to double his tally.
Cameron Howieson exploited a gap in the defence to pull one back, but Steven Thompson passed up the chance of an equaliser with a missed penalty.
Dean Shiels scrambled Rangers' third.
You would not have known Rangers had lost the play-off to Motherwell just over two months ago, with Ibrox packed with fans once more excited by their team's prospects under the new manager.
And the old stadium was bouncing when Wallace blasted the home side in front within the opening minutes.
St Mirren players were looking for a free-kick when Jack Baird crumpled to the turf inside his own box, but Rangers played on and Wallace had the easy task of thumping the ball into the net.
Buoyed by the goal, Rangers continued to go forward at pace, pressing and harassing their opponents, with little troubling them at the back.
A second goal seemed inevitable and, shortly after Barrie McKay had volleyed over, Wallace grabbed his second.
It was poor defending from the visitors; Jason Holt being allowed to knock the ball through for the Rangers captain, who ran into the box unchallenged and drove through the goalkeeper's legs.
St Mirren were in danger of being overrun, but their response was instant - Paul McMullan picking out the run through the middle of Howieson, who calmly slotted past Wes Foderingham.
It gave Ian Murray's men a foothold back in the game, but it did little to curb the home threat. Martyn Waghorn shot over and Holt had a right-footed effort turned round the post.
Wallace was instrumental in everything Rangers were doing. Flicking the ball past his man in his own half, he raced down the left before picking out Tom Walsh, whose strike from the edge of the area was just over.
A turning point of the game came when McMullan was brought down in the box by James Tavernier and referee Kevin Clancy had no hesitation in awarding St Mirren a penalty.
However, Thompson put his foot under the ball and sent it skywards.
Rangers needed to kill the game, but Nicky Clark, Waghorn and Tavernier all failed to beat goalkeeper Mark Ridgers with efforts.
Ridgers then denied David Templeton from close range when his header from Nicky Law's cross looked goal-bound.
The goalkeeper's heroics could only do so much and he was left exposed as an unmarked Shiels drove the ball at him from inside the area.
Ridgers managed to parry the initial shot, but he could do nothing to stop the rebound as Shiels finally made the points safe to start the Championship campaign with victory.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton: "We have to recognise we need to be more clinical. The second half we had chance after chance but 2-1 is a dangerous scoreline.
"A couple of times we were loose and they broke on us. It's about keeping discipline with pitch geography. We got away with it when they missed a penalty."
St Mirren manager Ian Murray: "I think the crowd and the occasion got to the young guys. They have not played in this environment before and you could see that. But their reaction to the second goal was superb.
"It was a huge blow when we missed the penalty because we felt we still hadn't played to our potential at that point, so to get to 2-2 would have been great."
Line-ups
Rangers
Formation 4-3-3
- 25Foderingham
- 2TavernierBooked at 56mins
- 4Kiernan
- 27Wilson
- 5Wallace
- 23HoltSubstituted forShielsat 61'minutes
- 16Halliday
- 7Law
- 19McKaySubstituted forTempletonat 84'minutes
- 33Waghorn
- 48WalshSubstituted forClarkat 61'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Templeton
- 14Clark
- 20Aird
- 22Shiels
- 32Kelly
- 42Hardie
- 45Thompson
St Mirren
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Ridgers
- 2Naismith
- 5Conlan
- 15BairdBooked at 70mins
- 3KellyBooked at 85mins
- 7McMullan
- 11HowiesonSubstituted forMorganat 67'minutes
- 10Carswell
- 16Agnew
- 14MallanSubstituted forGowat 82'minutes
- 9ThompsonSubstituted forGallagherat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Goodwin
- 8Gow
- 17Morgan
- 18Mclear
- 19Cuddihy
- 22Gallagher
- 32Wilks
- Referee:
- Kevin Clancy
- Attendance:
- 49,216
Match Stats
Home TeamRangersAway TeamSt Mirren
- Possession
- Home63%
- Away37%
- Shots
- Home25
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home10
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Rangers 3, St. Mirren 1.
Post update
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Jack Baird.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt saved. Rob Kiernan (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Mark Ridgers.
Post update
Attempt saved. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal!
Goal! Rangers 3, St. Mirren 1. Dean Shiels (Rangers) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Attempt saved. Dean Shiels (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt saved. David Templeton (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Booking
Sean Kelly (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Nicky Clark (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sean Kelly (St. Mirren).
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. David Templeton replaces Barrie McKay.
Substitution
Substitution, St. Mirren. Alan Gow replaces Stephen Mallan.
Post update
Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Danny Wilson.
Post update
Attempt missed. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Post update
Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Danny Wilson.
Post update
Attempt missed. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Post update
James Tavernier (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
