St Johnstone were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by Rangers in a one-sided Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox on Saturday. The Perth side, who had lost only once in their previous five games, were undone by a clinical attacking performance from the hosts and a second-half red card for Kai Fotheringham. The result on Saturday 24 October saw Kevin Kelsy open the scoring in the 29th minute from a Ryan Naderi assist, with Naderi scoring himself in the 61st before Kelsy added another in the 66th and Tochi Chukwuani completed the scoring in the 87th.
Kevin Kelsy scored twice for Rangers, with Ryan Naderi and Tochi Chukwuani also finding the net in the heavy rain. St Johnstone goalkeeper Toby Steward made several saves but could not prevent the scoreline from reflecting Rangers' dominance.
The visitors started the second half brightly and were dominant for a 15-minute spell, but they failed to capitalise. The game turned decisively when Kai Fotheringham was sent off in the 74th minute for a high challenge on Nico Raskin, leaving St Johnstone with ten men for the final stages. Manager Simo Valakari had made a tactical switch at half-time, bringing on Josh Campbell for Jason Holt, but the red card killed any hope of a comeback.
Defensively, St Johnstone struggled to contain Rangers' creative forces, particularly Min-su Kim. The South Korean playmaker created five chances, hit the post, and was involved in three of the four goals. His performance underlined the gulf in quality on the day.
The heavy loss is a setback for St Johnstone's ambitions. They now sit 12 points behind leaders Celtic and have a goal difference of zero, having scored and conceded 11 goals this season. Their immediate focus must shift to bouncing back quickly. They host Motherwell at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday, 28 October, in a key fixture. Motherwell are currently 10th, making it a winnable game for Valakari's side to stop the slide. The defeat leaves St Johnstone fifth in the Premiership with 12 points from nine games, a record of three wins, three draws and three losses.
The team must regroup after a difficult afternoon where little went right. They face Motherwell next, aiming to return to the form that saw them beat Aberdeen 1-0 earlier this month.
Further reading: The Scotsman Football
