Bojan Miovski came off the bench to score a dramatic winning goal in the final seconds at Ibrox Stadium, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Rangers over St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
The North Macedonian international striker dinked the ball over goalkeeper Jacob Chapman following a late flick-on, sealing a third consecutive 1-0 win for manager Derek McInnes's side. The victory keeps Rangers five points behind rivals Celtic in the title race ahead of a crucial week that includes a Premier Sports Cup tie and an upcoming league clash at Parkhead.
Miovski had effectively become the fifth-choice striker at Ibrox following a busy transfer window. He sat behind Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti, Ryan Naderi, and new 9 million pound signing Kevin Kelsy in the squad hierarchy. The forward had come close to leaving Rangers before the transfer deadline and parted company with his management agency due to frustration over how his situation had been handled.
The late goal brought immense relief to McInnes, who celebrated wildly in the dugout with fist-pumps, cheers, and songs. McInnes had faced heavy pressure following early-season defeats to Hibernian, Jagiellonia Bialystok, and Jablonec, which brought a swift end to his initial honeymoon period as manager. Although he had repeatedly requested new additions, the closure of the transfer window and significant financial investment mean squad recruitment can no longer be used as an excuse.
First half dominance at Ibrox
Rangers should have put the match beyond reach during a dominant first half performance. With Shankland absent, McInnes made three changes to the lineup that beat Motherwell 1-0 last weekend, switching to a 4-4-2 formation with Kelsy partnering Naderi up front while Badredine Bouanani made his first start on the wing.
Rangers started brightly and had a major opportunity after six minutes when midfielder Nico Raskin slid a pass to Naderi, whose shot went straight at Chapman. Raskin was denied shortly after when Chapman produced a good save to tip his header wide from a Bouanani cross.
Down the left flank, the combination of Djeidi Gassama and James Penrice created continuous problems for the St Mirren defense. Penrice delivered a low cross across the face of goal, but Saints defender Louis Jackson executed a last-ditch tackle to deny Naderi a tap-in at the back post. In the 22nd minute, Chapman produced an impressive double save to thwart Gassama and Bouanani in quick succession.
St Mirren defender Calvin Ramsay almost scored a bizarre own goal when he caught the ball flush on the volley, sending it flying towards his own top corner before Chapman saved again. By the 30-minute mark, Rangers had created enough chances to lead by two or three goals. St Mirren midfielder Alex Gogic eventually dropped back to form a five-man defense as the visitors held on to keep the score 0-0 at half-time.
St Mirren fight back in tense second half
St Mirren arrived at Ibrox following a 2-1 defeat against Celtic in Paisley, having made an encouraging start to their league campaign under manager Craig McLeish. Their only prior setback was a 5-1 loss to Rangers at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup last month. However, the Buddies grew far more comfortable after the restart as Rangers became increasingly disjointed.
Ramsay whistled a free-kick just over the crossbar for St Mirren as tension built inside the stadium. On the hour mark, McInnes replaced Kelsy and Bouanani with Min-su Kim and Findlay Curtis. Kelsy endured a frustrating evening on his start, failing to make the most of his chance to stake a claim for Sunday's cup clash against Celtic.
St Mirren missed a clear opportunity to take the lead when Fraser Taylor broke through one-on-one, but Rangers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur stood tall to make a vital save. Anxiety mounted further among home fans when news reached Ibrox that Celtic had taken the lead in Perth, temporarily leaving Rangers staring at a seven-point deficit in the title race.
Desperate changes bring late dramatic winner
McInnes shifted his system to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Min-su playing as the number 10, where his pace and direct running offered an immediate threat. Despite the change, Rangers repeatedly surrendered possession in dangerous areas inside their own half. Around the 70th minute, St Mirren controlled possession and dictated the match inside the Rangers half.
Temperatures flared on the pitch as Raskin squared up to St Mirren substitute Ryan Carr during a heated confrontation. Seeking a breakthrough, McInnes made a desperate late double substitution, bringing on Miovski and Cammy Devlin for Raskin and Gassama.
The breakthrough came deep into stoppage time with only seconds remaining on the clock. Pandur launched a long punt upfield, which Naderi flicked into the path of Miovski. The striker sprinted clear and dinked a cool finish over Chapman, with the ball dropping just under the crossbar to seal a dramatic victory.
