Derek McInnes confirms surgery for two Rangers players and savours late win after first half 'crime'

Bojan Miovski’s injury-time strike led to widespread celebrations on the pitch, on the touchline and in the stands as Rangers won for a fourth game in a row to remain five points behind their rivals.

McInnes, who revealed both Lawrence Shankland (hamstring) and Daisuke Yokota (groin) would have operations in London on Thursday that will keep both out for several months, felt his team were worthy winners based on the number of chances created – and spurned – in the first half.

The Rangers manager did admit that St Mirren had been the better team for a 20-minute spell after the break but felt the nature of Miovski’s winner would help to raise spirits ahead of the first half of the Old Firm double-header.

McInnes said: “We were waiting for a bit of quality and a big moment in the game and thankfully Bojan came up with that. It was a win we deserved. We battered St Mirren in the first half but passed up so many opportunities. It was a crime we didn’t score in that half.

“It was annoying me [in the second half] our reluctance and failure to play the ball forward. It was killing us. But the goal was a moment to savour.

“Everybody loves a last-minute winner so you’ve got to enjoy those moments. When you play a team like Celtic, you're going to have to go into the pitch confident, you're going to have to go into the pitch with belief. And we need every supporter making it difficult for them and getting right behind us.

“The players need to know that they've got our backs and we need to make sure that we deliver a big performance for them on Sunday. Hopefully by doing that, you get to Hampden and you're a step closer to silverware, which is why we're all here.”

On the decision to send Shankland and Yokota for surgery, McInnes explained: “By [Shankland] getting the surgery, it minimises the risk of that happening again. Unfortunately he's not alone in London as Daisuke is getting a groin operation as well.

“Once we got him scanned on Monday, it showed that he had actually torn the muscle off the tendon in his groin. The surgeon's rubbing his hands - he's getting two for the price of one.”

St Mirren would come to regret the gilt-edged chance missed by Fraser Taylor midway through the second half, someone well known to McInnes.

He added: “Wee Fraser is my son’s best pal, he's never out of my house. He would never have got back in it if he had scored.”

This was a second match in succession in which St Mirren had gone toe-to-toe with one of the Old Firm only to slump to a narrow defeat. But manager Craig McLeish had nothing but pride for the effort shown.

He said: “I thought our second half performance was magnificent. I think the least we deserved out of the game was a point but you don't always get what you deserve.

“That’s four games in 12 days and I thought we were monsters tonight. Our energy levels, fitness levels - that's what it needs to be.”