Kelsy and Naderi strike as Rangers rout St Johnstone 4-0
Rangers answered Derek McInnes's call for a response with a dominant 4-0 win over St Johnstone, as Kevin Kelsy's brace and Ryan Naderi's goal and assist justified a two-striker setup before Wednesday's trip to Hearts.
Rangers delivered the emphatic response Derek McInnes wanted after dropping two points at Dundee, sweeping St Johnstone aside 4-0. Aside from a brief wobble early in the second half when the visitors threatened to get back into it, the home side controlled the contest, and the margin did not flatter them.
McInnes chose to bench Djeidi Gassama and pair Kevin Kelsy with Ryan Naderi up front, and the decision paid off. The two combined for the opener, Kelsy finished with a brace and Naderi contributed a goal and an assist, offering further evidence the partnership can lead the line while Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti remain absent.
The statistics underlined Rangers' control: expected goals of 4.57 to 0.58, 21 shots to nine on target, eight big chances to two and 13 corners. One of those corners produced Kelsy's second goal via Emmanuel Fernandez's flick-on, Rangers' first goal from a set piece this season.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday called it as positive a 90 minutes as you can get, saying the first half alone could have ended 4-0 and highlighting the value of coming through without injuries while strikers score again. Former Rangers forward Peter Lovenkrands said goals and assists lift a striker's confidence and predicted the performance would do Kelsy a world of good. Halliday added a note of caution, arguing the standard of set-piece delivery has been poor this season and that Rangers must become a genuine threat from dead balls again.
McInnes rated the display as good as his side have been for a while and said Rangers are in good form, slowly chalking off wins. Attention now turns to Wednesday's Scottish Premiership meeting with Hearts, his first return to Tynecastle since leaving for Ibrox in the summer. He recalled his time there fondly, noted how difficult the fixture is for visitors, and said Rangers must produce a big performance while aiming to make the night tough for Hearts too.
Image: SNS / BBC Sport
