St Johnstone 1 Rangers 2: Vigour beats valour

Richard Wilson

Sports writer

Sunday 15 January 2012

As if offering a reminder of his worth, Nikica Jelavic hustled his way into prominence.

Nikica Jelavic waits to pounce as Murray Davidson's header crashes off the bar Photograph: SNS

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Richard Wilson

Much of his work was scrappy, and he relied on his might and vigour to force his way into the game. Two goals from two moments of smart positioning were decisive for a Rangers team that was, briefly, in danger of discarding two valuable points.

There was little refinement on display, but then Jelavic is built for combat. Speculation linking him with a move to the Barclay's Premier League seemed to have disturbed his form in recent weeks, but he played here as though he had recalled his obligations. "I'm in constant dialogue with Nikica and he said to me a couple of weeks ago that he wasn't happy with his form," said Ally McCoist, the Rangers manager. "But his performances are vital to us."Jelavic might, too, have been acting out of self-assertiveness. Rangers have been pursuing another striker in Francisco Sandaza, having offered the St Johnstone forward a pre-contract agreement. Sandaza started the game as the most scrutinised player. A tall, thin, maverick figure, with swift feet, he alarmed the visitors when a weaving run carried him into space to deliver a deft pass through the defence and into the path of Marcus Haber. The midfielder was correctly flagged offside before he shot beyond Neil Alexander.The move might have galvanised St Johnstone regardless, since it suggested Rangers were fragile at an early stage. Yet, for all the sense of a team being depleted by injuries and with the transfer window bringing only anxieties, they can still be resourceful. Their enterprise was almost solely provided by Sone Aluko, who took it upon himself to torment St Johnstone. When he gathered the ball from Steven Davis's quick free kick, he drove into the penalty area and shimmied beyond two defenders to make space for a shot, which was then diverted into the net by Jelavic. The home players were angry that the free kick was taken five yards away from where the foul had occurred and they surrounded Craig Thomson, the referee. Steve Lomas then swept into the technical area, having left his seat in the stand, and set about complaining with gusto."Craig Thomson is a fantastic ref, but I told him after the game that he got it wrong," the St Johnston manager said. "The free kick's got to be taken from where the foul was committed. It took two of our players out of the game."There was little room for compromise, and a series of confrontations quickly followed. They spread to the touchline, with McCoist and Lomas arguing sharply enough for Thomson to lecture them both.Rangers were entitled to feel that having the edge over their opponents would yield more than a single goal, but St Johnstone were not meek adversaries. Dorin Goian was thwarted by David Robertson's positioning when the midfielder cleared his header off the line. The home side were set out to contain Rangers, but there was still scope for enterprise.Liam Craig was always capable of slinging in inviting crosses from the left, and one delivery deep into Rangers' penalty area was headed down by Marcus Haber. Alexander had the ball covered, but it spun off Carlos Bocanegra and into the net.The goal brought a renewed sense of purpose, and the Perth side were suddenly irrepressible. Another break ended with Sandaza sliding the ball to Robertson, whose shot on the run flew just wide.They could not sustain their intent, though, and there was an inevitability about the way Rangers shrugged off their exasperation and re-engaged with the task of trying to overwhelm St Johnstone. They managed to keep rashness at bay as the game entered the final 10 minutes, and David Healy's fierce shot demanded a good save from Enckelman, with Lee Wallace unable to reach the rebound.The St Johnstone goalkeeper was less assured when the ball was next in his vicinity. His defenders expected him to claim Davis's free kick, but he remained on his line and Murray Davidson inadvertently headed towards his own goal. Enckelman tipped the ball on to the bar, but it then fell to Jelavic only one yard from goal and he bundled it into the net."The reaction after St Johnstone's goal was first class," McCoist said. "We didn't feel sorry for ourselves and got a deserved winner."

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St Johnstone 1 Rangers 2: Vigour beats valour

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