Rangers Rise with Naderi's Brace as St Mirren Stumbles

Rangers celebrated a much-needed 2-0 victory over St Mirren, shaking off their recent away woes. After drawing with Dundee and Hearts, the team was eager to leave Paisley with three points intact. The standout performer was Ryan Naderi, who converted a soft penalty in the 18th minute. Skipper Dan Neil, back from injury, doubled the lead shortly after the hour with a deflected shot, keeping Rangers' unbeaten streak alive at 12 matches. This win puts Rangers just one point behind Celtic, who can stretch their lead back to four points when they face Kilmarnock at home on Sunday, just before the international break. Meanwhile, Aberdeen is in dire straits, as manager Stephen Robinson prepares to tackle their struggles head-on. The team went into the break following a dismal 4-0 defeat against Hibernian, which saw them slip into the relegation zone. Hibernian, starting the night three points adrift of Aberdeen, delivered a commanding second-half performance to secure a comprehensive victory at Pittodrie. The hosts began brightly, with Jack Milne hitting the bar, but it was Jamie McGrath’s stunning long-range strike that opened the scoring. Aberdeen’s attempts to equalize were swiftly thwarted as Callum Wright made it 2-0, leading to frustrations among the home fans. Further goals from Thibault Klidjé and Nicky Cadden capped off a forgettable evening for the Dons. Robinson reflected on the match, expressing his disappointment: “It’s really, really disappointing. We haven’t taken our chances and Hibs capitalized on theirs. We got the result we deserved.” He vowed to keep pushing for improvement despite the mounting pressure. In other action, Dundee United and Motherwell battled to a 1-1 draw, with Dundee manager Jim Goodwin voicing his frustration over a penalty awarded to Motherwell. Initially ruled offside, a VAR review prompted the referee to give a spot-kick after Tawanda Maswanhise went down in the box. Motherwell captain Lukas Fadinger converted the penalty, but Dundee salvaged a point through Jesse Randall’s goal. Goodwin lamented the decision, stating, “It’s a poor decision for me,” to which Motherwell’s Alfred Johansson had a different take, arguing that a penalty was warranted. St Johnstone earned a much-needed 2-1 win over Dundee, with Josh Campbell scoring early. After Joe Westley equalized for Dundee, Kai Fotheringham, making his first start, scored a deflected winner to secure the points for St Johnstone, lifting the spirits of their supporters.