St Mirren were edged out by Rangers in our first cinch Premiership match since the winter break.
Cyriel Dessers' 14th minute goal was enough to give the visitors the points despite Saints creating a number of chances throughout the match.
Greg Kiltie made his 100th Saints appearance while Mark O'Hara returned to the starting line-up after a calf injury. Lewis Jamieson also started as the manager made two changes from the side that defeated Queen of the South in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup last week.
Rangers took the lead on 14 minutes when Dessers beat the offside trap to run on to a ball over the top from John Lundstram. The forward beat Zach Hemming to the ball and rounded the goalkeeper to roll into the empty net.
Saints looked for a quick leveller with Elvis Bwomono at the far post reaching a Scott Tanser cross two minutes later. The right-wing-back hit the effort into the ground but Jack Butland in the Rangers net managed to gather.
Hyeokkyu Kwon had Saints best chance of the first-half when he was found unmmarked in the Rangers area by Kiltie's cross, but the Korean midfielder side-footed high and wide from just inside the box.
Rangers went close to doubling their lead a minute later when a long-range strike from James Tavernier flew just by the post.
Saints were presented with a good opportunity on 27 minutes when Jonah Ayunga was fouled on the edge of the Rangers D. Jamieson stepped up to take the free-kick but fired well over. The 21-year-old had another big chance three minutes later when he was slipped in but his effort was saved by the feet of Butland with the offside flag raised in any case.
Kwon forced a good save from Butland in the final minutes of the first-half with an effort from 20 yards that the Rangers goalkeeper had to push wide.
Despite going in to the break behind, Saints had the better chances in the first 45 and Rangers responded by making two changes at the interval with Tom Lawrence and Ross McCausland replacing Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell.
The visitors quickly looked for a second early in the second-half with Tavernier curling wide from 20 yards before substitute Lawrence did the same from similar range a few minutes later. Dessers went close to his and Rangers' second on 54 minutes when his deflected effort came off the post.
James Scott made his St Mirren debut as a second-half substitute (Image: Allan Picken)
New signing James Scott was given his debut when he replaced Jamieson on 64 minutes, while Mikael Mandron also came on in place of Ayunga.
VAR checked for a St Mirren penalty as the game approached the final 10 minutes after Marcus Fraser went down in the box, but nothing was given.
Saints kept pressing in search of an equaliser and came agonisingly close when the ball fell kindly for Alex Gogic but his strike was blocked by some brilliant last-ditch defending from John Souttar. From the resulting corner James Bolton headed off the cross bar as it proved not to be St Mirren's day.
James Bolton came close to an equaliser in the final few minutes (Image: Allan Picken)
Full-Time: St Mirren 0-1 Rangers
St Mirren: Hemming, Bolton, Fraser, Gogic, Bwomono, O'Hara (c) (Dunne 81), Kwon (Boyd-Munce 72), Tanser, Kiltie, Ayunga (Mandron 64), Jamieson (Scott 64)
Subs Not Used: Urminsky, Taylor, Brown, Flynn, Nahmani
Rangers: Butland, Tavernier (c), Goldson, Souttar, Ridvan (Barisic 84), Lundstram, Raskin (Jack 58), Sterling (Matondo 88), Cantwell (Lawrence 46), Wright (McCausland 46), Dessers
Subs Not Used: McCrorie, Silva, Balogun, Devine
Referee: David Dickinson
Assistant Referee: Graeme Stewart
Assistant Referee: Paul McAvinue
Fourth Official: George Calder
VAR: Don Robertson
Attendance: 6,665
