Rangers’ 2-0 victory over St Johnstone gave them three points despite their inconsistent performance.
The goals in Wednesday’s Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox went to Cyriel Dessers and James Tavernier (20 December).
With a game remaining, Philippe Clement’s team is now only two points behind Celtic, their bitter rivals, in the league standings thanks to the significant victory.
However, the Belgian’s night was not totally fulfilling as they had to lose forward Kemar Roofe to injury after just 16 minutes.
And the manager’s problems did not end there, as St Johnstone’s Diallang Jaiyesimi’s red-card challenge resulted in midfield star John Lundstram being substituted at halftime.
Kieran Dowell, a fellow midfielder, is finally back on the field after a protracted injury layoff, and the former Norwich City player did not let Clement down in his first start.
Given that Lundstram’s injury kept fellow midfielders Ryan Jack and Jose Cifuentes out with injuries, he played the full ninety minutes at Ibrox and appears to be in for a lot of games.
Against the Saints, Dowell certainly drew attention. Journalist Andy Campbell of BBC Sport named him Player of the Match on December 20, and the official Rangers website highlighted his “solid performance” on the same day.
Before the year ends, Rangers still have three games left, including a crucial matchup with Celtic. They also have tests against Motherwell and Ross County scheduled.
It will be up to Dowell to step up in his teammates’ absence in the midfield, but he is more than capable of doing so.
