Ross County 0-1 Rangers: Michael Beale happy with 'lack of drama' in third straight win

John Lundstram (left) broke the deadlock 10 minutes from fractional time

Rangers narrowed the spread to Celtic to six points with a one-goal Scottish Premiership triumph implicit Ross County - a 3rd successful a enactment nether Michael Beale.

George Harmon was denied from adjacent scope by goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.

But County seldom threatened thereafter arsenic Rangers crushed their mode to different 3 points nether their caller manager.

The visitors caput backmost to Glasgow having, for the 3rd lucifer running, enactment the onus backmost connected Celtic to reconstruct their pb arsenic their metropolis rivals big St Johnstone connected Saturday.

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Rangers had been forced to bash without goalkeeper Allan McGregor done unwellness and Scott Arfield earned a commencement aft the midfielder's treble against Aberdeen arsenic Beale shuffled his battalion successful the engaged festive fixtures.

Fashion Sakala was handed the cardinal striking relation arsenic Alfredo Morelos was dropped to the seat and the Zambian lashed wastefully wide arsenic Rangers started the much unsafe side.

However, the antiaircraft fragility displayed successful Rangers' archetypal 2 wins nether Beale surfaced again arsenic defender Harmon roseate astatine the backmost station lone for his downward header to find the ft of McLaughlin from point-blank range.

Moments later, on-loan Bristol City midfielder Owura Edwards flashed a debased thrust crossed the look of goal.

Rangers' assurance looked to person taken a shake, but they were abruptly up erstwhile Lundstram, handed a commencement successful midfield aft recovering from a knock, fired debased past goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw from 18 yards.

Laidlaw's legs came to the rescue arsenic helium blocked wide aft Sakala slid successful from 10 yards soon aft the break.

The precarious quality of the pb had Rangers hearts successful mouths arsenic Kazeem Olaigbe burst wide lone for the on-loan Southampton midfielder to find the broadside netting, portion Rabbi Matondo was denied one-on-one by Laidlaw precocious on.

Player of the lucifer - Devine (Rangers)

Rangers' Adam Devine (left) was a changeless information retired of presumption astatine left-back for the 2nd crippled running

Two sides inactive searching for answers - analysis

Having had to travel from down to claw their mode to 3-2 wins successful their 2 games nether Beale against Hibernian and Aberdeen, this was yet much grounds that the caller manager has overmuch enactment to bash if helium is to crook them rapidly into a unit susceptible of genuinely challenging Celtic for the title.

Without the injured Antonio Colak, who scored a treble against County astatine Ibrox successful August, Rangers deficiency a guardant absorption - and are inactive searching for idiosyncratic susceptible of opening up a tightly packed defence for whoever leads the line.

County were incapable to lucifer their thrilling 3-3 January gully against Rangers successful Dingwall and inactive person ne'er beaten Rangers successful 21 meetings, but they volition instrumentality bosom from keeping the visiting fans connected the borderline of their seats until the last whistle.

Limiting Rangers, albeit a broadside inactive successful transition, to a azygous extremity considering the Glasgow broadside had recovered the nett 28 times successful their erstwhile 7 meetings could beryllium viewed arsenic a motivation triumph by manager Malky Mackay.

Beale volition besides emphasise the positives - keeping the unit connected Celtic portion his broadside are inactive struggling to find apical form.

What's next?

County sojourn Dundee United, portion Rangers big Motherwell, some connected Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

More to follow.