Celtic’s 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday left the door open for Rangers to take possession at the top

Skipper James Tavernier struck a late penalty double as Rangers romped to the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 3-0 win against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

Celtic had been leading the standings on goals scored but their 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday left the door open for Rangers to take possession at the top for the first time since February 2022.

Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Diomande brightened up a drab first half in the 37th minute as he hammered in from 25 yards for his first Rangers goal since coming in the winter transfer window. Tavernier then dispatched penalties after 79 minutes and 87 minutes, both following VAR intervention, extending his tally for the season to 19.

With 12 fixtures remaining Philippe Clement’s team are two points clear of their Old Firm rivals and will take the momentum of nine straight wins into next week’s encounter against third-placed Hearts at Ibrox.

Rangers fans travelled in great expectation for the midday kick-off and again they noted that Clement had rang the changes, especially in attack, with Borna Barisic, Oscar Cortes, Scott Wright, Diomande and Fabio Silva returning.

Craig Levein’s 10th-placed team had Dan Phillips returned from injury, with Connor Smith and Ryan McGowan baA bad surface was always going to make passing football tough and the ball spent a lot of time in the air in a rough start to the encounter.

Rangers had 43 shots on goal in the 3-1 win against Ross County in midweek – 23 on target – but had yet to challenge Saints goalie Dimitar Mitov until Diomande stepped up to break the deadlock. Another Rangers attempt looked to have broken down at the edge of the box with McGowan nicking the ball away from Silva. However, it dropped to Diomande and the midfielder, on loan from Danish side Nordsjaelland with Rangers having an obligation to buy in the summer and making his maiden league start, took a touch and hammered it past the diving Mitov.

Dujon Sterling, returned from suspension, replaced Rangers winger Wright for the start of the second half with Saints striker Benjamin Kimpioka on for David Keltjens, who had been booked in the first half, and the game opened up.

Within seconds of the restart Mitov made a fantastic stop from Silva’s close-range effort from a Diomande cross before Sterling just failed to get enough on a cross from the hard-working Todd Cantwell, who was quickly replaced by Tom Lawrence.

Rangers’ small lead meant St Johnstone remained in the game but in the 65th minute Sterling had another chance when he was sent in by Silva but took too long to get his shot away and was finally crowded out.

Three minutes later striker Cyriel Dessers and winger Ross McCausland replaced Silva and Cortes as Clement attempted to get the second goal to give his team some breathing space.

When St Johnstone’s senior defender Andy Considine fouled Sterling, while he did not point to the spot at first, referee Matt MacDermid was requested to see the pitchside monitor and he awarded the penalty and Tavernier gave Mitov no chance.

Dessers had a one-on-one with Mitov and rounded the goalie but skipper Liam Gordon shepherded the ball to safety.

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

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