adminAnd breathe. Yes, Glasgow Rangers may have had to work extremely hard for it, but they eventually got over the line, leaving it until late to claim a crucial 1-0 victory on Wednesday night.
Facing an in-form St Mirren outfit, the hosts looked energetic during the opening half, but simply couldn’t find the finishing touch, with Derek McInnes’ side perhaps missing sidelined captain Lawrence Shankland.
The Gers were considerably less dangerous after the interval, though, as they didn’t manage a shot on target until stoppage time in what was an uninspiring second-half display.
Fortunately, that proved to be enough to finally break the deadlock, with substitute Bojan Miovski emerging as the hero to rescue his teammates and spare their embarrassment.
How Miovski rescued Rangers against St Mirren
With speculation surrounding a departure heading into the closing stages of deadline day, it appeared that Miovski’s time in Glasgow could be coming to an end after an underwhelming first season.
The former Aberdeen forward netted 13 goals in all competitions during 2025/26, although only seven arrived in the Premiership, with the striker having slipped towards forgotten-man status in recent weeks.
However, fortune could now be turning in Miovski’s favour, with the unfortunate injuries suffered by Youssef Chermiti and the aforementioned Shankland potentially giving him a pathway back into the starting XI at Ibrox.
As he demonstrated against the Buddies, the Macedonian remains a genuine natural finisher, capable of being extremely clinical when presented with opportunities inside the box.
Does anyone else within the Rangers squad score that goal? Shankland aside, the answer is probably no, as the 27-year-old reacted brilliantly to Ryan Naderi’s flick-on before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.
It was a finish defined by composure and confidence, the sort of goal that had become commonplace for Miovski during his spell at Pittodrie.
With the Old Firm clash approaching, he has certainly given McInnes plenty to consider, particularly after an inconsistent outing from the remainder of the home side’s attacking options.
Why McInnes must be ruthless with struggling Rangers star
Despite the late anxiety, there was initially plenty of encouragement to take from Rangers’ display, especially during the opening 45 minutes.
New arrival Badradine Bouanani was particularly energetic from the right wing, while Djeidi Gassama also caused problems on the opposite flank, despite continuing to lack quality with his final pass or effort.
Overall, the Gers produced four ‘big chances’ and attempted 13 shots during the first half, with McInnes likely wondering how his side had failed to get past an undoubtedly outstanding Jacob Chapman in the St Mirren goal.
Part of the problem may have been the struggles of those occupying the forward positions, with £9m signing Kevin Kelsy experiencing a difficult first start since joining from Portland Timbers, while the aforementioned Naderi was once again largely ineffective.
Given his recent arrival, Kelsy’s showing can be afforded some leniency, but this felt like another example of Naderi’s ongoing difficulties, even though he played a role in Miovski’s decisive goal.
The young German had also made the difference from the bench against Motherwell in the previous match, but his tally of six goals in 20 appearances for the club is hardly inspiring for someone who cost close to £5m.
He can look clumsy and unconventional at times, with Wednesday night providing another illustration of those limitations, as he found it difficult to develop any real understanding with new striker Kelsy ahead of him.
Indeed, the 23-year-old missed a significant opportunity himself during the early stages, while managing only one key pass across the match and finishing with a disappointing 54% pass accuracy.
That is an especially weak figure for someone playing in the attacking midfield role behind the primary striker, while his tendency to lose possession once every 2.4 touches was another concern.
A late assist cannot conceal those shortcomings, with Naderi also winning only ten of his 22 duels, doing little to provide the physical presence his imposing stature might suggest.
Naturally, Kelsy was hardly at his best either, but the Venezuelan won five of his six aerial contests and completed 76% of his passes, offering at least some indication of the qualities he could bring to the central role.
In Naderi’s situation, he is now more than six months into his Ibrox spell, yet he still appears uncomfortable with the intensity, physical demands and tempo of the Premiership.
With the derby now on the horizon, and Miovski having returned to the scoresheet, don’t be surprised if the German finds himself among the substitutes again this weekend.
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