Jason Holt, a former Rangers player, gave Phillipe Clement a lifeline as the Ibrox team battled to stay 11 points behind Celtic.
In a sombre, towsy match, the Govan team’s former defender, who joined the squad five years ago after leaving Hearts in 2015, scored the game’s lone goal this afternoon at McDiarmid Park to give the Ibrox club a 1-0 victory over St Johnstone.
Before Holt made a mistake in the 63rd minute to separate the two teams, who both struggled to create openings, there was a scoreless draw.
Goalie Josh Rae lost the flight of the cross after Iannis Haghi knocked over a ball from the left, marking a turning point. Holt desperately stuck out a leg and blocked an effort from almost under the crossbar into his own net as James Tavernier came in at the back post.
It seemed appropriate that such a tenacious objective would resolve a dispute that hardly ever transcended the banal, with both sides cancelling each other out.
Yesterday, Brendan Rodgers’ team easily defeated Ross County 5-0, and later this afternoon, Aberdeen will play Hearts at Tynecastle.
Right now, the Hoops lead the Dons by five points.
