James Tavernier blasts Rangers to Premiership summit with penalty double after Diomande dazzler – 3 talking points

Rangers finally reached the Scottish Premiership summit at the third time of asking and after Mohamed Diomande’s scorcher and a couple of James Tavernier penalties earned them a 3-0 win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

Philippe Clement’s men seized the opportunity presented to them by Celtic after the champions were held at home to Kilmarnock on the eve of this trip to Perth and it’s now nine wins on the spin for the Light Blues in 2024 as they showed a response to their defeat to their rivals at Parkhead at the end of 2023.

It wasn’t as free-flowing a performance as their midweek win over Ross County when they had 43 shots but Clement’s Rangers seem to have the mentality to overcome obstacles - the pitch in Perth for example and a dogged Saints - and find a way to win. Despite the major boost of Celtic slipping up 24 hours earlier, it was a slow start from the visitors who were backed by an expectant travelling support. St Johnstone were well drilled and neither goalkeeper was seriously tested in a cagey opening.

It was going to take something special for Rangers to break down a stodgy Saints defence and that’s exactly what they came up with through Diomande with their FIRST shot on target. Ryan McGowan beat Fabio Silva to a ball into the box but in nicking it away from the Portuguese striker’s feet the ball fell to the Ivorian who, with his weaker right foot, unleashed an exquisite 25-yard shot beyond a helpless Dimitar Mitov.

But Saints had the Bulgarian to thank early in the second half when he denied Silva’s volleyed effort from Dijon Sterling who was on as a half time substitute for Scott Wright. Sterling himself then should have doubled the lead but he somehow failed to direct his close range header on target