Saints with the same eleven that started last weeks game against Falkirk, whilst Rangers fielded former Saint Charlie Adam in the starting lineup.
It didn't take long for Saints to get going. Simon Lappin charged down the left and produced a fantastic cross that John Sutton bulleted past comedy goalkeeper Lionel Letizi. Love Street went wild; Saints were beating Rangers! Regardless of what happened now, at least we'd have the enjoyment of being ahead of one half of the Old Firm.
Saints pushed and had a shot blocked, but the fun lasted just over ten minutes. Lappin comically wiped out Barry Ferguson and, with the advantage allowed, Adam shot over. However, referee Murray decided to pull play back for a dodgy looking foul by Andy Millen on Dado Prso.
A Rangers free kick on the right hand side of the box? Only one thing was going to hapen - and it did. Adam fired the free kick through a shoddy wall and past Bullock to level the scores.
Referee Murray then decided to produce some quite frankly bizarre decisions. Adam was rightly booked for flattening someone near the corner flag, however a similar offence by another Rangers player saw no caution. Kris Boyd was fouling constantly but didn't get booked, whilst Prso was hitting the deck at any opportunity and getting rewarded for it.
However, the visitors needed no help to take the lead after 25 minutes. Kirk Broadfoot decided for some reason to run away from Thomas Buffel and he drove a shot along the ground into the bottom corner.
With Rangers now ahead, Murray continued to give bizarre decisions. Ferguson wiped someone out - no foul. Richard Brittain did the exact same - foul and booking. Boyd continued to foul - no booking. Very good.
This novel form of refereeing continued in the second half, and his "assistant referee" decided to get in on the act. A Rangers player clearly put the ball out of play two yards from the linesman, who then gave a Rangers throw! Fortunately, Murray overruled the decision and gave Saints the throw.
It wasn't the last bit of fun from the same linesman, who decided that a player can be given offside even when he has to run past a defender to get to the ball. Interesting theory.
There wasn't much in the way of goalmouth action to talk of, Bullock saving a free kick with his legs and Sutton causing no problems with a tame header. Instead, we continued to get bizarre refereeing decisions. Most 50-50 challenges saw free kicks given to Rangers whilst Boyd continued to be penalised but not booked.
Saints were then denied a penalty for shirt pulling, with Saints boss Gus MacPherson later revealing that the linesman hadn't given it because it wasn't his job (why's he called an assistant referee then)?
Fortunately, justice was done just under fifteen minutes from time. Sub Mark Corcoran - on for Billy Mehmet - went down inside the box after an apparent challenge from Julien Rodriguez. It was maybe soft but - with the way the referee was going - I wouldn't have been ashamed if we'd scored a hand of God type goal.
For once, Murray was alert and pointed to the spot. He then decided to do all the mind game stuff for the Rangers players, moving the ball around on the spot with Sutton looking on. Eventually he was satisified it was in exactly the right spot and the Englishman fired home, although Letizi got a touch.
With the scores level, Saints had a problem. With Corcoran on and David McKenna on for Kevin McGowne, we had quite a few strikers on the pitch. It's perhaps that which caused us, with sub Novo scoring the winner five minutes from time after Bullock had saved Adam;s initial effort. Boyd then procedded to show just how much Murray was in his back pocket by taking ages to go off the pitch when being subbed.
In the end, a draw would probably have been fair. Rangers are average and will finish well behind Celtic this season. The last Rangers side we faced were far superior.
We were always going to be up against it when we were playing at least 12 men, so only losing by one goal isn't too bad. It was a good performance and hopefully we can produce some more of them in the near future.