Last updated on .From the section Scottish Premiership

Rusty Rangers stay two points behind Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership after struggling to victory over resolute visitors St Mirren.

Jermain Defoe fired home from 12 yards after 34 minutes on one of the few occasions his side found the target.

But that was enough to earn a sixth win in a row for Steven Gerrard's side and leave St Mirren third bottom.

The visitors suffered a blow when captain Kyle Magennis was taken off on a stretcher after seven minutes.

But Jim Goodwin's side stuck to their task despite a lack of possession and forced Rangers to survive nervous moments late on while rarely looking likely to record their first win at Ibrox since 1991.

Rangers laboured after six changes

Gerrard and his players had voiced the need to avoid a repeat of last season, when they won the last Old Firm derby before the winter break to draw level with Celtic at the top of the table, but fell away after the league got back under way.

The Ibrox squad look a more unflinching bunch this time round, but the early stages suggested that Gerrard's decision to rest some of his big guns for Friday's Scottish Cup win over Stranraer might backfire.

With six players making their first start since December's win at Celtic Park, Rangers laboured to create chances from open play, being restricted to two off-target Nikola Katic headers following corner kicks until finally making the breakthrough.

Anticipating a mirror image of their own Scottish Cup win over East of Scotland League side Broxburn Athletic, St Mirren manager Goodwin prepared for a lack of possession by starting defender Paul McGinn instead of Ilkay Durmus.

The more defensive mindset continued even after Turkish winger Durmus was forced into early action in place of Magennis and, even when Rangers did make the breakthrough, there was a touch of fortune about it as Borna Barisic's low cross was deflected into the path of the predatory Defoe for his 16th goal of the season.

St Mirren had ended a run of eight league losses away from home with a win and draw without conceding a goal, but they now had to think about finding an equaliser.

Their moment almost came with 15 minutes remaining when Cameron MacPherson's looping free-kick found Conor McCarthy drifting away from his marker at the back post, but the defender headed wastefully wide from 12 yards.

As the game opened up, Katic fired just wide and Defoe powered a drive over on the break, but the English veteran's first-half strike was enough to secure the three points.