Rangers were accused of over-celebrating against Hearts recently when they hit the top of the Premiership for the first time since 2011. If anything, the opposite was the case here, as they returned to the summit of the Scottish game for the second time in a fortnight in pretty much the most joyless manner imaginable.

While the Ibrox side are back at the head of affairs in the table this morning on goal difference over Kilmarnock, with Celtic a point further back, their third-minute opener here by Daniel Candeias did not spark the festive goal feast their fans had hoped for.

Instead, any Christmas spirit there was here after the club’s failure to qualify for the Europa League had long since seeped away by the end as an Accies hung to cause consternation right to the end. But what else did we learn from another dramatic day at the top of the Premiership, other than the fact that this is a title race that no-one apparently seems too bothered about winning?

CORNER FOOTBALL

In his days as Scotland manager, Craig Brown used to be known for measuring the success of a performance on corner kicks won. In that case, this Rangers performance was a triumph. The final corner count was 22-2 in their favour, with no fewer than 13 flying in on Gary Woods’ goal in that first half alone.

This was a whirlwind start from the hosts, as they threatened to blow the Accies away within minutes. But with the Accies remaining resolute, instead the home side proceeded to huff and puff for the remainder of the match.

Accies goalkeeper Gary Woods - who had appeared so beleaguered at the outset, produced a couple of fine saves from a Kyle Lafferty header then when one-on-one with Eros Grezda, but Rangers must sharpen up their act in front of goal. It seemed incredible, considering the club’s firepower, that Candeias’ goal was Rangers’ first from open play in the last six matches.

MISSING MORELOS

Judging by the liberal sprinkling of empty seats here and there, Christmas shopping was a competing attraction for a few Rangers regulars yesterday. So bleak was most of this afternoon that opting to traipse around Silverburn with your other half seemed like a reasonable decision. But of more interest for plenty of the punters in this part of the world will be what bargains the club are likely to pick up in the January sales.

Because without Alfredo Morelos, the little Colombian who was serving the second of his two-match ban for reaching a disciplinary threshold and being dismissed against Aberdeen, once again Rangers toiled to create as much chances as they could and failed to take the ones that they did. With a better final ball, or a surer finish, this game could and should have been done early.

This wasn’t Kyle Lafferty’s most convincing afternoon, as he somehow only succeeded in hitting the post with that early headed chance, then Woods diving smartly to his right to defy him when he did get good purchase and a header on target. Grezda, given a chance off the left, was another who didn’t take the chance he was given. With Ovie Ejaria having returned to Liverpool after his loan spell, Gerrard admitted that he is actively working on improving his team’s quality in the final third.

“It was like 22 corners right?” said Grezda. “So that means a lot, we were all the time at the box of the opponent so like I said that’s not so good when you don’t score the second goal because when you do it gives you more confidence.”

TOP OF THE PILE AGAIN – FOR HOW LONG THIS TIME?

If it was a boost to the club’s morale to take to the field shortly after Celtic had gone down two down to Hibs, it was understandable if Gerrard was circumspect last night about returning to the summit of the league. As it so happens, Neil Lennon’s side are next up for Rangers – at Easter Road on Wednesday – the first of two meetings with them in the space of ten days. Sandwiched between them is a tough looking trip to Perth to take on St Johnstone with the Old Firm match to follow before the winter break. Having lost to Aberdeen and drawn with Dundee after hitting the top for the first time, Rangers will hope to deal with front-running a little better this time.

DANIEL CANDEIAS

If there was a player exempt from the malaise which seemed to be taking hold at Ibrox yesterday it was the club’s Portuguese winger. Not only did he pop up with the all-important goal, lashing it in with his left foot at a time when the hosts laid siege to the Hamilton goal, he ended up in a more central role, showing some decent moments of creativity for his team. Keeping his nose clean with the referee all day, this is the kind of display his manager will need more of. Leaving the fray to a deserved ovation late on, he was probably one of those players his manager wished he could have wrapped in cotton wool rather earlier than he did.

HAMILTON HEROICS

While it would have been harsh for the Accies to have nicked a draw from this one – it was testament to their defensive organisation that they should keep Rangers panicking to the last. While Darian McKinnon got the benefit of the doubt for a horse collar tackle round the neck of the onrushing Ryan Jack which might have been red rather than yellow, Matthew Kilgallon and Ziggy Gordon defended the crosses which flew into their box with zeal all day, and Woods produced a couple of fine saves.

“It’s never a good start to come here and concede so early, but fair play to the boys, they dug in and we looked threatening at times when we opened up in the second half,” said Woods. “We’ve been on the end of a few heavy defeats this year, and that’s usually what has happened, we’ve conceded one and then all of a sudden it’s three or four. But the boys defended brilliantly. With that many crosses and corners you might expect a few more goals, but credit to our boys for our work today.”