REPORT: Rangers overtake Celtic in the Scottish Premiership following their error against Kilmarnock.

Rangers defeated St Johnstone 3-0 at McDiarmid Park, with skipper James Tavernier scoring a late double to send the team flying high in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers took over at the top for the first time since February 2022 after Celtic, who had been leading the table in goals scored, drew 1-1 with Kilmarnock at home on Saturday.

The 37th minute saw Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Diomande light up a lackluster first half with his first goal for Rangers since joining during the winter transfer window, a 25-yard blast. Tavernier then made it to 19 goals for the season with penalties after 79 and 87 minutes, respectively, both coming after VAR intervention.

With 12 games left, Philippe Clement’s team leads their Old Firm opponents by two points. They will ride their recent winning streak of nine games into their match at Ibrox against Hearts, who are now in third position.

As Rangers supporters arrived for the midday kickoff, they were filled with excitement and noticed that Clement had made several changes, mostly to the attacking lineup with the return of Borna Barisic, Oscar Cortes, Scott Wright, Diomande, and Fabio Silva.

Connor Smith and Ryan McGowan were back, and Dan Phillips had returned from injury for Craig Levein’s 10th-place team.

The match at McDiarmid Park saw a challenging start due to the poor playing surface, making passing football difficult and resulting in a scrappy beginning. Despite Rangers’ prolific goal-scoring record in their previous match against Ross County, they initially struggled to trouble the St Johnstone goalkeeper, Dimitar Mitov.

However, it was Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Diomande who broke the deadlock for Rangers in the 37th minute with a clinical strike from outside the box, marking his first league goal for the club since joining on loan from Danish side Nordsjaelland.

As the second half commenced, both teams made tactical substitutions in an attempt to seize control of the game. Dujon Sterling replaced Rangers winger Scott Wright, while St Johnstone introduced striker Benjamin Kimpioka for David Keltjens.

Despite St Johnstone’s efforts to claw back into the game, Rangers continued to press forward, with Mitov making a crucial save from Fabio Silva’s close-range effort. However, Rangers’ attempts to extend their lead were thwarted, with Sterling failing to capitalize on a scoring opportunity after being played in by Silva.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement made further changes in the 68th minute, bringing on striker Cyriel Dessers and winger Ross McCausland to bolster the attack and secure a decisive second goal. However, St Johnstone remained resilient, keeping the scoreline narrow and ensuring a tense conclusion to the match.

Referee Matt MacDermid was asked to view the pitchside monitor after St Johnstone’s veteran defender Andy Considine fouled Sterling. He awarded the penalty, giving Tavernier no opportunity to score against Mitov.

The Rangers substitute then headed a Tavernier cross against the bar, and Lawrence’s shot struck Luke Robinson’s hand. Referee MacDermid then pointed to the spot again, and this time Tavernier sent it high into the other corner for his 120th goal for the team.