THE year would end how it started at Ibrox. The stands were largely empty, but Rangers were victorious as they took another step towards the Premiership title.

When Celtic visited here in January, a narrow Old Firm win saw Steven Gerrard’s side lay down another marker of their intentions in the top flight. From that day on, it became a matter of when rather than if league flag 55 would be won.

The same cannot yet be said of the 56th and there is still work to be done as Giovanni van Bronckhorst seeks to retain the title this term. Rangers will take a six point lead into the New Year, though, after ensuring they remained undefeated here on league duty in 2021 by seeing off St Mirren.

Scott Wright and Alfredo Morelos had the game won by the break. The second half became a case of game management but was a tale of chances missed as Rangers had to settle for what they had.

The past 12 months have been remarkable and memorable for a variety of reasons for Rangers supporters. At times they have never felt more united, yet on Boxing Day they were isolated once again.

The 500 who were fortunate enough to be here will remember this one for strange, sad reasons. Time will tell when they will be permitted to return, or when Ibrox will again hear the roar of the 50,000 for whom a Premiership title defence will mean so much.

Victory here would ensure the trip out wasn’t wasted, but the experience will have been unfulfilling for the majority as Rangers once again played against the backdrop of a few shouts from the stands and their own interactions on the park.

Van Bronckhorst would oblige when asked to give a group in the hospitality seats a wave. For the rest of the afternoon, he was focused on the job in hand as Rangers cruised to another three points.

The festive fixture schedule can so often be pivotal in any championship chase, but its importance has been diminished, or delayed, this season given the farcical decisions made at Holyrood and Hampden in recent days.

After so much progress in terms of fans returning, this occasion – played in freezing conditions and under dark, heavy skies – felt like a significant step back as Rangers entered the winter break top of the table. That is the main positive to take for those associated with the champions.

Fans were scattered around the Main Stand and Sandy Jardine. In the Broomloan, the Union Bears section was empty and silent, while the rows and rows of vacant seats created the blue sea that nobody wanted at Ibrox.

On the park, it was business as usual. This was a routine, comfortable victory as Van Bronckhorst continued his unbeaten run as manager against the side that had helped Rangers extend their lead over Celtic in midweek.

St Mirren never looked like completing the Old Firm double upset. Jim Goodwin may have had a handful of his more experienced campaigners back, but the Saints were well beaten.

Keeper Jak Alnwick – alongside the likes of Jamie McGrath and Ethan Erhahon – was one of those to return following the Covid issues that decimated Goodwin’s ranks earlier in the week.

Had it not been for the former Rangers keeper, the scoreline would have been even tougher to take for the Buddies. This was a difficult afternoon to round off the first half of the season.

It would take Rangers just 14 minutes to break the deadlock. James Tavernier’s corner was met by Calvin Bassey and flicked across the goal.

From a couple of yards out, Wright converted. Given a rare chance to impress from the start, it was just the kind of moment he needed as he attempts to add goals to his game.

The second arrived from Morelos before the half hour mark. The striker had come close twice in the opening stages and Alnwick would make a smart stop to deny him from a header.

He could do nothing about the rebound. From close range, the finish was emphatic from Morelos as he capped a fine first half showing – which also included a powerful effort from distance and a header that was just wide of target – with his 13th goal of the campaign.

Rangers may have been frustrated as strikes from Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo ultimately came without reward, but the job was done at the break. Once again at Ibrox, it was a case of how many the champions would win by.

A flurry of chances – the closest of which was a Wright strike that hit the post on the angle - would go unconverted. At the other end, Allan McGregor had to keep active to keep warm as St Mirren continued to pose no threat at all.

Given the state of the game and the lack of encouragement from the stands, it would have been understandable had Rangers attempted to cruise through the second period.

The champions didn’t drop their levels, however, as they continued to press and probe in search of the third goal of the afternoon. It was only once the finishing line was in sight that a degree of sloppiness crept into Rangers’ play.

Alnwick was again proving more difficult to beat than those in front of him and he would deny Tavernier and Morelos as efforts from Aribo and substitute Scott Arfield were agonisingly close for Rangers.

The scoreboard didn’t reflect the dominance of Van Bronckhorst’s side. Rangers were never under any threat, and the only disappointment will be that they didn’t win by more.

Like that day back in January, they didn’t have to in the end. The points were all that really mattered and this was another satisfactory outing for Van Bronckhorst.

After a hectic start to life at Ibrox, he now has time to regroup and to take stock. His side will return to action with a lead in the title race and the silverware in their sights.

The same outcome in the Premiership is what the Ibrox crowd will demand. Their greatest hope will be that they are here to see it this time around.