RANGERS saw their four game winning run brought to an end at the worst possible time with their third meeting of the season against Celtic looming on Hogmanay this weekend.
Successive Ladbrokes Premiership victories over Aberdeen, Hearts, Hamilton and Inverness Caledonian Thistle had led to a definite feelgood factor growing down Ibrox way in recent weeks.
That has all but disappeared with a 1-1 draw at McDiarmid Park which saw them slip no fewer than 16 points behind their city rivals, who still have a game in hand, at the head of the league table.
Read more: Mark Warburton: Injured Rangers captain Lee Wallace is "touch and go" for Celtic match at Ibrox
There had been an increasing optimism among their support that the Championship winners, beaten by the defending champions at Parkhead in September and Hampden in October, could avenge their two previous losses.
They will undoubtedly be a different side with over 40,000 of their supporters roaring them on in Govan on Saturday – there were only 7,979 at a decidedly flat affair last night – but there will have to be a dramatic improvement on this in order for them to prevail.
Lee Wallace, who had picked up an injury at the end of the 1-0 win over Caledonian Thistle on Christmas Eve, was omitted from the Rangers squad raising fears among supporters that he will be missing from the side when they take on Celtic at Ibrox on Saturday.
Mark Warburton played a three man defence for the first time since the league game against Hibs at Easter Road last season in his captain and left back’s absence with Rob Kiernan and Danny Wilson playing on either side of Clint Hill.
Read more: Mark Warburton: Injured Rangers captain Lee Wallace is "touch and go" for Celtic match at Ibrox
James Tavernier was brought back in at the expense of Lee Hodson on the right with Barrie McKay found himself on the left of midfield in a 3-5-2 formation. They were vastly improved side to the weekend in the opening stages of the match.
Josh Windass hooked an attempt just wide, Kenny Miller had a shot denied by a one-handed Zander Clark after being sent through by a penetrating pass from Danny Wilson and Tavernier struck the crossbar with a dipping effort from well outside the area.
They deserved to edge in front in the 23rd minute. Clark was unable to hold a swerving Joe Garner drive and Barrie McKay pounced, sidestepped Joe Shaughnessy and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
Wes Foderingham in the Rangers goal had hardly been tested by the home team up until that point. But St. Johnstone were gifted an equaliser by the visitors just five minutes after falling behind.
Rob Kiernan, who had been linked with a move to English Championship club Fulham, played a passback to his keeper which fell some way short of its intended target. Steven MacLean nipped in, stole possession and rounded Foderingham before stroking the ball home. If any scouts were in attendance they would not have been impressed.
Read more: Mark Warburton: Injured Rangers captain Lee Wallace is "touch and go" for Celtic match at Ibrox
The BT Sport cameras captured centre half Kiernan aiming a punch at Steven Anderson at a corner. The referee and his assistants failed to take action at the time, but if the player is punished retrospectively for the infringement it will cap an evening to forget for him.
Having Tavernier, who had been switched to central midfield after his defensive lapses against Hearts at Tynecastle last month, back in his favoured position on the right seemed to suit him and his side. He certainly offered more going forward than he had at the weekend. Jason Holt headed his cross just over shortly before half-time.
Windass had a shot deflected over by Chris Millar in the 57th minute, but St. Johnstone, who had switched to a 3-5-2 to counter their rivals, contained Rangers well in the second half and at no stage looked in danger of falling behind again.
Warburton had to make changes and did so. He withdrew Garner who, apart from the shot that had led to the opening goal, had made little impact and put on Martyn Waghorn up front and then took off Hill, who had been booked, and put on Lee Hodson. The substitutions, though, made little difference.
Tempers flared when Paul Paton scythed down Holt from behind. Referee Crawford Allan showed yellow cards to Richard Foster and Andy Halliday after he had managed to break up the melee.
Michael O’Halloran, the winger who moved from St. Johnstone to Rangers in a £500,000 transfer back in Febraury, came on for Miller with 10 minutes of the match remaining. He was, as has so often been the case during his time in Glasgow, unable to make a difference to the outcome of the match.
Waghorn curled a shot wide, but Clark was untroubled in the closing stages of a game which St. Johnstone deserved to take a point from.
Read more: Mark Warburton: Injured Rangers captain Lee Wallace is "touch and go" for Celtic match at Ibrox
St. Johnstone have become something of a bogey team for Warburton side during the Englishman’s time in this country. This was the third time his team had come up against them and the third time they had failed to emerge victorious. They could once again have no complaints about the outcome.
The last occasion that Rangers travelled to Perth to play St. Johnstone saw the first public appearance of an English businessman called Charles Green who was fronting a consortium interested in buying the Ibrox club.
A great deal has happened since the final day of the 2011/12 campaign. But the desire to beat Celtic remains just the same. On the evidence of another unconvincing performance there is little chance of it being satisfied this weekend.
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