Nightmare Rangers drama gives Derek McInnes a test at Ibrox

Rangers’ stoppage‑time winner on Wednesday secured a fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership victory, keeping the Gers within striking distance of Celtic and giving new manager Derek McInnes a chance to cement his Ibrox credentials.

Stoppage‑time drama clinches win

Bojan Miovski struck in the first minute of added time to break the deadlock against St Mirren at Ibrox, delivering the decisive goal that earned Rangers a fourth league win in a row. The result mirrored a win by the same scoreline against the same opponents that sparked a four‑match winning run to end last season. It marked another chapter in the west‑Glasgow saga that began with that earlier triumph.

Managerial shift fuels expectations

Danny Rohl’s tenure kept the Gers in the title race before he was tempted away to Red Bull Salzburg, paving the way for Derek McInnes to take charge. McInnes arrived after guiding Heart of Midlothian to the cusp of a fifth league title, a performance that earned him his dream job at Rangers. He also brought international striker Lawrence Shankland, a talismanic Hearts captain, across the central belt to Glasgow.

Injury blow tests McInnes

Shankland, the 31‑year‑old Glasgow native, suffered a 2C hamstring tear against Motherwell and was ruled out before the St Mirren game. McInnes explained that surgery could add three or four weeks, with a best‑case recovery of three months and a worst‑case of four months. The loss of his main man tests the ex‑Hearts revolution at Ibrox.

Form and upcoming challenges

Rangers have now recorded four wins on the bounce, including a 1‑0 victory over Aberdeen and a 2‑1 win at Falkirk, with Shankland scoring all three goals in those matches. Young striker Ryan Naderi, who joined in February, came off the bench to score within four minutes against Motherwell and set up Miovski’s looping winner versus St Mirren. The Gers were knocked out of Europe by Jagiellonia Bialystok and later by Jablonec, leaving the Premier Sports Cup quarter‑final Old Firm derby at Ibrox as their next big test.

With Shankland sidelined, McInnes must now steer Rangers through the final stretch of the League campaign, hoping the recent burst of form can offset the injury setback and keep the title race alive.