THERE was nothing unlucky about 13 for Rangers.

That is what their winning streak in the Premiership now stands at after a victory over St Mirren that was another small step towards the title. If they can add to it again when they face Celtic on Saturday, they will take a stride in the right direction.

This win ensured that Rangers consolidated their 16 point lead over Celtic. Next time out, they have a chance to extend it and further strengthen their position in the title race.

At the scene of their Betfred Cup shock, Steven Gerrard’s side didn’t make the same mistake twice and first half goals from Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos were enough to see off the Saints on this occasion. There wasn’t the drama of the cup clash, but this routine win was just what was required from Rangers as they now prepare for a huge, potentially defining, Old Firm showdown.

The build-up to this one had naturally been dominated by talk of the quarter-final encounter, but Rangers had to look forward rather than back. That is, after all, what they have done since that wretched night that cost them a shot at the silverware once again.

The wins over Motherwell, St Johnstone and Hibernian have answered many of the questions that were raised in the aftermath of that surprise loss. The recovery has been just what was needed, and what Gerrard would have demanded, but that wouldn’t have quelled the ambitions of lightening striking twice for those of a Paisley persuasion.

It was no surprise to see Saints boss Jim Goodwin select the same side that beat Rangers here earlier this month. And there was a similar vibe in how the hosts set out as they pressed Gerrard’s side from the off to deny Rangers the chance to find their rhythm.

The plan was executed perfectly within the first minute as Jamie McGrath – who scored twice in that quarter-final victory – closed down Steven Davis and won the ball before testing Allan McGregor with a low shot from distance.

It was a sign of St Mirren’s intent. With Goodwin marshalling them left and right, forward and back, the Buddies would make life difficult for Rangers once again.

The work rate was impressive as they ensured Rangers couldn’t pass their way through them and were forced to go long at times. It was a day where the Gers would have to be patient, and the margin for errors was slim as St Mirren looked to pounce.

Jon Obika should have done just that after 12 minutes. Rangers didn’t clear a cross or the second ball and Obika could only fire high and wide after Allan McGregor, making his 400th appearance for Rangers, spilled an effort from Dylan Connolly.

Rangers would soon show their hosts how it should be done. There had been few promising situations – a free-kick that Hagi put wide of target aside – in a tight encounter but a moment of magic and a stroke of fortune broke the deadlock.

Hagi did well competing for the ball and emerged with it. He then slid it through the St Mirren defence and found Roofe as the roles were reversed from the win over Hibernian.

The outcome was the same, though, as Roofe, this time with the aid of a deflection, netted his 12th goal of an increasingly impressive and influential campaign.

Rangers now had themselves in the same situation as they were in last time out. They had done the hard bit and broken St Mirren’s resolve, and now they had to turn the lead into a win.

The quickfire second goal didn’t arrive in the cup tie but it did here and the Buddies were masters of their own downfall as they made life needlessly difficult for themselves.

A sloppy, wayward pass from Joe Shaughnessy back towards his own goal was never going to reach keeper Jak Alnwick and it set Morelos free with his first real chance of the afternoon.

The Colombian isn’t exactly in a rich vein of form at present, but he would finish well here – slotting the ball by Alnwick with a pleasing composure - as he scored his first league goal since September. With Celtic to come, the goal couldn’t have come at a better time in this match or in the bigger picture for Morelos and Gerrard.

It wasn’t quite job done for Rangers, though, and St Mirren would show a bit more intent after the break as they attempted to force the issue but ultimately they didn’t have the required quality or cutting edge. Obika was denied on the angle by McGregor before collecting a booking for catching Connor Goldson in an aerial challenge.

As the temperature continued to drop, so did the standard of the play. St Mirren needed a spark to give themselves hope, while Rangers were searching for one moment to kill off any threat of a comeback.

McGrath headed a Roofe flick off the line and the striker would soon make way as Ryan Kent entered the action with 17 minutes to make an impact. Rangers were edging towards the winning line.

They would eventually cross it with relative ease. There was no late drama from St Mirren on this occasion as they huffed and puffed and came up well short of a victory.

It was job done for Rangers on a rather low-key afternoon. Saturday will be anything but as Celtic come calling and the Premiership title race takes another twist.