Just when Rangers seem to take a half step forwards, they end up falling on their backsides shortly after. Beating Dundee last weekend and Celtic drawing a blank against rivals United saw them cut the gap to single digits. But there's a reason why they were so far behind in the first place and they showed everyone why in Paisley as St Mirren struck late to make it three wins on the bounce for Stephen Robinson 's team.
A fairly sedate Boxing Day bash came to life just before the half hour when Jack Butland lost the run of himself. A long ball over the top caught out a Rangers backline that was all over the place and greg Kiltie latched on to it. He was on the angle of the box and not an immediate danger, so why.
Butland came tearing out to try and top him, only to flatten the Saints wide man wasn't entirely clear. The keeper was booked after VAR check for an offside and then whether Butland should have seen red. Then Oisin Smyth stepped up and set him the wrong way to make it 1-0 to the Buddies.
Gers were huffing and puffing but threatening little. Hamza Igamane fashioned a half chance for himself with a good turn on the edge of the box, but volleyed straight into Ellery Balcombe's arms. James Tavernier flashed a free-kick wide shortly after the break as Rangers upped the tempo.
They came within inches of a leveller when Vaclav Cerny, who is becoming the go-to man to break teams down, rattled the woodwork with a near post strike. Balcombe then denied Danilo on the line as the .