Scots cap a perfect day for Rangers

HOMEGROWN players' efforts to catch Burley's eye pays off for league leaders

RANGERS 4
Burke 27; Boyd 33; Whittaker 37, 80

ST MIRREN 0

WITH new Scotland manager George Burley watching from the stand, the homegrown players in the Rangers side staked their claim for inclusion in his first squad gathering next month.

While all eyes had been on Kris Boyd, back in the starting line-up following his midweek hat-trick, it was Steven Whittaker who dominated the scoresheet and gave the national boss a fresh name to ponder for the left-back berth.

Three goals and a sending off in the space of ten first-half minutes turned the match and allowed the home side to ease to victory and extend their lead at the top of the league table to seven points, with Celtic not in action until this afternoon.

There had always been the possibility that this could have been a sticky match. One in the rain and the mud to bog down Rangers and their title aspirations. St Mirren had been putting together a run of decent results of late but then again, everything is relative. Four wins from the last five games had gifted the Paisley side some belief but it was the home side who had won the previous six matches in all competitions and also Rangers who were unbeaten by St Mirren in over a decade.

Yet it was Gus McPherson's men who made the greatest impact in the opening spell. Flooding the midfield, they battled and hustled for every ball and when they made their way forward, they found a vital outlet in Mark Corcoran, who had obviously not heard that Alan Hutton is a £9m-rated player these days, or simply refused to be cowed by price-tags. But all over the pitch there was a refusal to bow to reputations as the visitors looked composed. The Paisley side's possession play and distribution was more impressive. Rangers, on the other hand, were sloppy while passing, with too many loose balls finding the opposition and they lacked the resolve of their guests in midfield, capitulating in the majority of 50-50 situations.

But having carved out the better of the early chances, with Billy Mehmet's tenth-minute header forcing a diving save from Allan McGregor and the same player turning to hit another effort goalwards in the 26th minute, it was a bitter blow for the travelling fans when Rangers immediately burst up the field to take an ill-deserved lead.

At that stage, it had looked as though the Govan team could be about to endure another stodgy and problematic afternoon, similar to the one they only just managed to emerge unscathed from in Inverness last weekend.

The infuriating fact for MacPherson will be that they only had themselves to blame. Barry Ferguson's cross in from the left flank soared beyond most of the bodies in the six-yard box but Burke was completely unfettered as he came into the back post, and although Corcoran noticed and tried to close him down, the ball had dropped to the winger and was well on its way into the St Mirren net before anyone could get to him.

Minutes later, St Mirren's misery was compounded by a sense of injustice. Will Haining can have no gripes about the second yellow card – just reward for scything down Hutton – the initial booking in the 18th minute had seemed harsh. But having fallen behind despite edging the early play, the hopes of staging a comeback now that they had given the league leaders a one-man advantage were slim.

David Van Zanten moved back into the centre-back berth, but they had lost the ability to crowd the middle of the park and stifle the ball players in there. It meant the supply forward to both Boyd and Jean-Claude Darcheville improved, as did the support from deeper areas and Rangers killed them off with some clinical finishing.

As the Saints struggled to adjust in Haining's absence, Rangers wasted little time in making the most of their numerical advantages. Three minutes after the defender had walked, Boyd ran on to a lovely pass through from strike partner Darcheville and buried a left-footed shot beyond Chris Smith. It was needed to salvage something for a player who had failed to find the target with a header in the opening minutes, the cross slightly too high, while later in the match, he was one-on-one with Smith but the keeper came out to block, with substitute Steven Naismith's curler in from the rebound nipping just wide of the far post.

It wasn't the only occasion when Smith had to be at his best. He also tipped over a Charlie Adam cross-come-shot in the 46th minute, and Ferguson was denied late in the game.

The St Mirren goalkeeper was unable to do anything about Whittaker, though. The full-back was one of those who came more and more into the match as the ten-man opposition struggled to regain their composure. In the 37th minute, he arrived in the box and having taken the pass on his right foot, switched to his left and struck the ball across goal and only just squeaked it in between Smith and the far post. For anyone clinging to lingering doubts, that was that, with the second half rendered unnecessary.

St Mirren were restricted to a game of damage limitation and in that feat, they succeeded. It wasn't pretty and the lack of competitive edge meant it wasn't that enjoyable to watch but despite one-way traffic, they managed to keep Rangers at bay for most of the game's remainder. There were spells when the home side were lining up to have a go, but signalling a insipid end to an encounter that had promised more than it could ultimately deliver, no-one other than Whittaker could make their effort count. His strike was crisp and drilled low into the net in the 80th minute to wrap things up and ensure the new Scotland boss would remember his name.

Ibrox club won't try to bend rules for Bent

RANGERS have poured cold water on the possibility of bringing Wigan striker Marcus Bent to Ibrox, claiming that any loan deal could fall foul of the same restrictions hampering Daniel Cousin's transfer to Fulham.

FIFA rulings ban players from turning out for three clubs in one season, unless a special case can be argued and dispensation given. While refusing to rule the move out completely, the fact Bent has also turned out for Charlton this season is likely to scupper any chance of luring the forward north of the Border for the remainder of the season.

However, Walter Smith has said that he is still seeking to strengthen his side. Top of the list remains goalkeeping cover for Allan McGregor following Derby County's move for Roy Carroll and it is believed the club are close to agreeing a deal with Dundee United's Grzegorz Szamotulski, whose Tannadice contract expires at the end of the month.

"We are in the process of trying to sign a goalkeeper, which we have been trying to do for the last three weeks and have been thwarted on a number of occasions, so I will see how we get on.

"If we think we can find a player who will strengthen the team, then we will endeavour to try to get them in. The problem is that clubs don't want to let good players go at this stage of the season."

Rangers would, however, be happy to see Daniel Cousin's move to the Premierleague completed, with the London club and FA expected to fight the case.

In the meantime, it was fullback Steven Whittaker who was netting a brace as Rangers piled pressure on title rivals Celtic ahead of their trip to Parkhead. The 4-0 victory over St Mirren took them seven points ahead at the top of the table and Whittaker is hoping that his contribution may be enough to merit his inclusion in George Burley's international plans.

The new Scotland boss was at Ibrox and will name his first squad this week for next month's informal gathering. The former under-21 cap said he would be thrilled to feature. "It's everybody's dream to play for Scotland and if George wants me to play there at left back then I would be delighted," he said.

St Mirren boss Gus MacPherson was unhappy with the way the game turned on the back of Will Haining's 30th-minute sending off, disputing the validity of the defender's initial booking for a foul on Jean Calude Darcheville.

"It was really a nothing challenge and I think if Darcheville had just got up and got on with the game, the referee wouldn't have booked him."