Rangers held at St Mirren

Rangers and St Mirren will have to do it all again at Ibrox after the sides played out a drab goalless draw in their Scottish Cup fifth round tie on Saturday.

The cup holders showed signs of fatigue from their midweek exploits against St Johnstone and the nearest they came was a first-half header from Steven Davis.

The home side had the majority of the chances as they dominated the second-half and Madjid Bougherra, making his first appearance since returning from African Cup of Nations duty with Algeria, twice made goal-line clearances from Michael Higdon.

The match also saw the return of Kris Boyd from a four-week injury lay-off as a second-half substitute but Scotland’s top-scorer never got near the goal as the Buddies looked the likeliest to score.

The sides, who will also meet in the League Cup final, will now meet on Wednesday, February 17 at Ibrox for the replay.

“I thought a draw was a fair result in terms of overall play and number of opportunities,” Buddies assistant boss Andy Millen said.

“We are very pleased to have run Rangers as close as that.”

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist said it was a bonus still to be in the competition.

“I don’t think we created anything like we normally do or should have but as the game went on I think it is safe to say we were pleased to get through it still in the cup,” McCoist said.

Gus MacPherson made no changes to the side which defeated Hearts in the League Cup semi-final while Rangers restored Allan McGregor in goals, John Fleck made way for Steven Naismith and Bougherra replaced David Weir.

The Algerian defender was involved at both ends early on as his cross was headed well over by Lee McCulloch before he cleared the danger from Higdon’s header.

Steven Thomson was inches away from connecting with Higdon’s knock on as St Mirren began to enjoy a period of possession.

Billy Mehmet was the first to test McGregor when he cut in from the left but the keeper dealt well with his powerful hit from just outside the box.

Andy Dorman then teed up Higdon at the edge of the box but he couldn’t steer his shot away from McGregor. Rangers’ best passage of play came after 35 minutes when Davis headed Kirk Broadfoot’s cross goalwards but Paul Gallagher got down low to his right to scramble the ball round the post.

Hugh Murray was nearly knocked off his feet as he bravely blocked a fiercely struck effort from Davis before Bougherra’s clever chipped pass found Naismith but Gallagher cleared the danger.

At the other end Thomson blasted high over the bar before Higdon was thwarted twice by Bougherra.

The striker first saw his close-range header blocked by the Algerian before the defender popped up on the line to clear after his lob over McGregor looked destined for the net.

Mehmet sent his header straight at McGregor as Saints looked the likelier of the two sides to find a break through.

Rangers brought on Boyd and Kenny Miller for Naismith and Kyle Lafferty as they looked for a winner but it was Kevin Thomson who came closest when he sent his low drive just wide of Gallagher’s post.

Craig Dargo replaced Higdon and he almost made an instant impression when he cut in from the left and fired in a shot that McGregor was forced to turn round the post.

McGregor then had to tip Murray’s floated cross over after it looked like it was going to dip under the bar. The keeper then produced a fine stop from Mehmet as the big striker lashed a half-chance towards goal with minutes remaining.