Rangers cruise past St.Johnstone to close the gap on leaders Celtic
– Scottish Premier League match update
Rangers beat St.Johnstone 4-0 in a Scottish Premier League encounter at the Ibrox on Sunday evening. A brace from http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kyle-Lafferty-c21560 and Sasa Papac helped the hosts to close the gap on leaders Celtic to just five points.
Walter Smith made extensive changes to his side that lost 3-0 last weekend. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/David-Healy-c10499 and Nikica Jelavic started upfront in a 4-4-2 formation for the hosts. On the other hand, Derek McInnes made one change to his side that drew 0-0 against Dundee United
last weekend. Jamie Adams was replaced by Stevie May in a 4-4-2 formation for the visitors.
The game started off with a bang as the hosts opened the scoring in the 5th minute. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rangers-c40314. After a dream start,
the hosts continued to enjoy possession and created several openings. The Gers should have doubled their lead after a super play from the midfield. Jelavic and Lafferty combined brilliantly to find David Healy, who forced Peter Enckelman to make a wonderful
save. Rangers finally doubled their lead in the 42nd minute, when Lafferty buried a header into net from six yards from Gregg Wylde’s corner, to make it 2-0 for the hosts. The Saints came close to pulling one goal back, when Jody Morris forced a
super diving stop from http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Allan-McGregor-c5213 to deny the visitors. A minute later, the Saints had another chance to score but Cleveland Taylor’s shot from 18 yards missed the goal by a few centimetres. The hosts went into the second half in a comfortable 2-0 lead,
as the Saints could not capitalise on the chances that came their way.
The second half started at a slow pace as compared to the first half. The hosts played a patient game and sprayed passes along the midfield. Just before the hour mark, the visitors had a great chance from a counter attack but Murray Davidson hammered a shot
into the side nettings. Moments later, Edu saw his long distance shot whizz past the post by a few inches after beating the diving keeper. The hosts were in total control of the game as they dominated the possession and territory. The Gers scored their third
of the evening in the 81st minute. Jelavic found Papac with a superb back heel and the Bosnian left-back slotted his shot calmly past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 for the hosts. The hosts scored their fourth and final goal of the evening in the
stoppage time of the second half. Wylde picked out Jelavic inside the penalty area and he finished his shot low past the goalkeeper to seal a comfortable 4-0 home win.
Rangers will play Dundee United in their next match on 3rd March, while St.Johnstone take on Aberdeen on 2nd March.
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