It's a couple of sloppy mistakes from Rangers. Just dwelling on the ball too long at the back.

James Tavernier is being swarmed and loses possession once more.

Here comes Mikael Mandron. The angle is against him again but he still manages to force another top save from Jack Butland.

St Mirren have got a great hunt on.

They are hounding Rangers, as a team.

They aren't leaving any gaps either, making it hard for Rangers to play through.

St Mirren are all over Rangers at every opportunity, but the visitors manage to win the ball and John Lundstram drags wide from range.

Two players look a little nervous in these opening few minutes.

Hesitancy from the Rangers captain James Tavernier gives Mikael Mandron an early chance to score, while at the other end, centre back Alex Gogic also hesitates a couple of times in coming for the ball, which is quite unlike him.

That apart, it's a good start from the home side here

Rangers get a corner from their first cross into the box.

The set piece eventually reaches John Lundstram, whose cross / shot is almost glanced in by Cyriel Dessers.

Lively start to this one.

Image source, SNS

Really poor and sloppy from Rangers.

Mandron again pounces but he's used his hand.

A fantastic start from St Mirren.

A handball from Mikael Mandron prevents a red face for Leon Balogun, who is too slow to clear and has his clearance closed down.

Very sloppy and shaky from Rangers.

It's a difficult chance. It was hesitant from Tavernier and Mandron pounced on it.

He gets his shot away well and Butland has to make a smart save.

What an opportunity for St Mirren early on.

They very nearly end that goalless in the space of a minute!

It's a nightmare start for James Tavernier, who has the ball nicked off him by Mikael Mandron and the St Mirren striker is in.

He lets fly down low to the far corner and Jack Butland is equal to it.

Goals have been extremely hard to come by for St Mirren against Rangers - they've lost the last four matches against the Ibrox side without troubling their opponents' net.

The last Buddies player to score against Rangers was midfielder Mark O'Hara in a 5-2 defeat at Ibrox.

They've not got a goal against them in Paisley since Jonah Ayunga scored in a 1-1 draw in November 2022, in what turned out to be Giovanni van Bronckhort's last game in charge.

Referee Nick Walsh gets us under way in Paisley.

Stephen Robinson will have a go at Rangers.

For him today, it's about minimising what Rangers do. He spoke of having a 90-minute performance, it's something St Mirren haven't done against Celtic or Rangers.

They've played well in parts of games and caused them problems, but they haven't done it for the full 90 minutes. It's vitally important they don't concede that early goal and that they stay in the game.

St Mirren: Hemming, Strain, Bolton, Gogic, Fraser, Tanser, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce, McMenamin, Mandron, Kiltie.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Dunne, Taylor, Bwomono, Brown, Baccus, Jamieson, Scott, Olusanya.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Balogun, Souttar, Barisic, Lundstram, Diomande, Cantwell, Sterling, Silva, Dessers.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Goldson, Lawrence, Dowell, Wright, Roofe, Davies, Raskin, McCausland.

Image source, Getty Images

Celtic and Rangers feature in today's gossip.

QPR keeper Asmir Begovic is linked with a move to Parkhead and Borna Barisic is reportedly leaving Scotland for Turkey.

I'll give you a few minutes to have a gander before kick-off...

Philippe Clement has a habit of trying to protect his players on the outside but Connor Goldson's form has dipped. He said himself he was frightened to lose his position. Leon Balogun comes in, does well and maintains his position.

The interesting one for me is Borna Barisic coming in at left-back. Dujon Sterling is a really good, robust player and he is defensively sound but you need balance. Barisic - who's been off-form - still think has a part to play. He offers something different. I like that change.

This is a real difficult fixture for Rangers but they've got an advantage to apply some gentle pressure before Celtic play later this afternoon.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement picks John Lundstram and Borna Barisic to start against St Mirren this lunchtime, both of whom are reported to have agreed to join Turkish side Trabzonspor next season.

When I put this to their current manager, he declined to comment on what he calls "rumour".

He did, however, say he's seen improvement in Barisic's game lately, which has prompted his recall in the absence of the injured Ridvan Yilmaz.

• St Mirren have lost 18 of the last 19 top-flight meetings with Rangers since a 2-1 win in December 2011.
• Rangers have won eight of their last nine league trips to St Mirren (D1), keeping seven clean sheets in the process.
• St Mirren have lost three of their last four league games (D1), including both of their last two; only from November-December have they lost three in a row in the Scottish Premiership this season.
• Rangers have only won one of their last five league games (D2 L2), this after winning nine in a row beforehand. The Ibrox side are winless in three Scottish Premiership matches (D2 L1), last going four without a win in the competition in February 2017.
• Rangers' Jack Butland has recorded 18 clean sheets in the Scottish Premiership this season, at least four more than any other goalkeeper, and the most by an Ibrox shot-stopper in the top flight since Allan McGregor in 2010-11 (also 18).

If you need a reminder of what's at stake today, just look at that table.

The top two are split by just three points, while fifth and sixth are separated by just two.

Five games remain and there's little margin for error. Buckle in.