St Mirren delivered a stunning performance to defeat Rangers 2-0 at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership, marking their first win at the venue since November 1991. Mikael Mandron and Toyosi Olusanya scored the decisive goals for St Mirren, while a significant VAR intervention shaped the match's outcome. Rangers, facing considerable pressure on and off the pitch, struggled to overcome these challenges, with manager Philippe Clement describing the defeat as "unacceptable."
The match saw its first major action when Rangers' goalkeeper Jack Butland made an impressive save from Jonah Ayunga's powerful shot in the 8th minute. Just two minutes later, St Mirren's Zach Hemming successfully parried a left-footed drive from Vaclav Cerny, establishing an early tone of competitive goalkeeping.
In a match punctuated by VAR decisions, St Mirren had a goal disallowed in the 41st minute due to a foul on Clinton Nsiala. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was awarded, shifting momentum in favor of the visiting team. Rangers' Hamza Igamane faced a red card in the 45th minute, which was later downgraded to a yellow after another VAR review—a crucial decision that allowed Rangers to maintain their full squad on the field.
Mikael Mandron opened the scoring for St Mirren in the 56th minute, capitalizing on Rangers' defensive gaps. The pressure continued to mount on the home side, and Toyosi Olusanya sealed the victory with a second goal in the 70th minute.
"We have raised expectations at this football club and it's not because we have massive resources or an injection of cash. It is because of the squad of players. They deserve all the credit for the performance." – Stephen Robinson
St Mirren's manager, Stephen Robinson, praised his team's determination and performance, emphasizing the squad's ability to rise above financial limitations through sheer talent and hard work.
Rangers, now trailing league leaders Celtic by 13 points, are under increased scrutiny as they engage in advanced talks with a USA-led consortium about a multi-million-pound investment. The consortium involves notable figures such as Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises and chairman of Leeds, which could potentially reshape the club's future.
Despite the potential infusion of capital, Rangers face immediate challenges. Celtic's earlier defeat to Hibernian offered Rangers an opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table—a chance that slipped through their fingers with this loss. Furthermore, Rangers are preparing for an upcoming Europa League last-16 tie against Fenerbahce in March, adding pressure to improve their form.
Philippe Clement did not mince words following the match, expressing his dissatisfaction with his team's performance.
"It's not acceptable to play in this way. The level needs to rise again." – Philippe Clement
Clement further emphasized the need for consistency across all matches.
"It's not only in a game like this [that we need to produce]. It's just whatever game it is. Everybody has real hunger to show a good game – that you saw before the game – but the performance was not there and the way they did it on the field was not the way to see it." – Philippe Clement
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