A nervy Rangers moved to within three points of leaders Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a drab 1-0 win over St Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium.
Tuur Rommens scored the only goal of the game as Danny Rohl's side took advantage of on Saturday evening to cut the gap and reignite his side's title challenge.
Rangers knew they had to win to keep pace with Celtic in second place after their on Saturday, but they were made to work for their three points in Paisley.
For managerless St Mirren, they remain in 10th place, level on points with Kilmarnock, and very much in a fight to avoid that relegation play-off spot but interim boss Craig McLeish will be heartened by a stubborn performance from his side.
Rangers started on the front foot and forced their way into the hosts' box in the opening stages. Djeidi Gassama had an early sight of goal but he got his first-time effort with the outside of his boot all wrong.
Rangers players claimed for a penalty when Nico Raskin knocked the ball onto the hand of Alex Gogic in the St Mirren box but both the referee and VAR were unmoved.
St Mirren were forced into an early change of shape and personnel following a head collision between Jayden Richardson and Alex Gogic, with the former having to go off to be replaced by Allan Campbell after 17 minutes.
Ryan Naderi forced Shamal George into action shortly after that but his header didn't have enough power in it to beat the goalkeeper.
Rangers took the lead shortly after the half-hour mark. Nico Raskin clipped a smart ball into a dangerous area towards the back post where the onrushing Rommens guided the ball back across George and into the net.
The visitors should have doubled their lead shortly before the interval when Rommens whipped a ball into the six-yard box towards Youssef Chermiti but the striker somehow managed to prod his effort wide from close range.
Rangers nearly did get a second on the hour mark when James Tavernier fired a curling effort towards the top corner from the edge of the box but George got across well to tip the effort around the post.
George was called into action soon after to deal with a tame Naderi header before Tavernier fired another effort well wide.
The second half was scrappy and the visitors were never out of the game. Killian Phillips fired well over before Mikey Moore's curling effort was stopped by George.
Jake Young then had a great chance for the hosts after taking a long ball over the top down well but he dragged his effort wide.
Rangers thought they had sealed the points when substitute Thelo Aasgaard had the ball in the back of the net but his effort was ruled out for offside.
After three consecutive draws on the road, Rangers and Danny Rohl were mightily relieved to hear the final whistle as they kept pace with Hearts and Celtic above them to keep this enthralling title race ticking along nicely.
Rangers boss Danny Rohl on Your Site:
"Win and eight cup finals now. A clean sheet is always good. They didn't have many opportunities, not really a big chance. We could have scored more goals to make the last five or six minutes easier for all of us. But it was a reaction and the table looks better now.
"Eight games to go and we have to prepare for the next one. It is all about the next one now. Today we can be happy, but we have to go again and again and again.
"Especially at this time of the year it is all about results. Take the wins and if it is a bit dirty then you take it as well. The last three performances were great but without the right result and I'll take this win.
"We have two or three transition moments and offsides that shouldn't be offsides and then it is 2-0. This is what we can improve. But today I don't care about these things. For me it is more important to get the three points, and it is massive.
"The energy was really high this morning and I felt it in the dressing room. I had a really big belief. This is what we needed today and I'm proud of my team. After three draws in a row there was total belief. We know which direction we want to go."
McLeish: We can take a lot of positives
St Mirren interim boss Craig McLeish on Your Site:
"Disappointed we have not managed to take something from the game. I can't ask for more from the players with their effort and attitude towards it. I thought we showed real bravery.
"You are going to suffer at times against Rangers, they are a quality side. I thought we limited them as much as we could.
"It is a really disappointing goal to lose from our point of view. There is lots to look back on, but we have to take so many positives from that, there were so many good individual performances.
"We probably didn't have enough clear-cut chances; we needed a bit more confidence in the final third. We got into some good areas at times but were lacking just a little bit of bravery at that top end.
"We have to start looking ahead to Falkirk and planning for that game and go from there. Whatever Keith [Lasley] and the board decide to do, we are ready with a gameplan for Falkirk. If someone comes in in the meantime, that's absolutely fine.
"We know the situation we are in; we have to start picking up points."
