Maurice Edu bolstered his case for filling the void left by deposed skipper Barry Ferguson by claiming his first goal for Rangers in a 2-1 win at St Mirren.

Kris Boyd set the ball rolling with the opener, before Edu opened his goalscoring account for the club just 24 hours after stating his intention to make the most of Ferguson's absence.

The United States international has so far spent the majority of his debut season at Ibrox kicking his heels on the sidelines but did his chances no harm with what proved to be the decisive goal in this clash.

Saints managed to pull a goal back through Andy Dorman but the visitors held on for the three points to keep the pressure on Celtic at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

However, the win at St Mirren Park did come at a cost for Walter Smith's men, with DaMarcus Beasley and Sasa Papac both added to an already lengthy casualty list.

Beasley and Edu had both been given the nod for the trip to Paisley along with Steven Naismith, with Lee McCulloch injured and John Fleck and Nacho Novo dropped to the bench.

Saints made just one change after losing to relegation rivals Inverness. Garry Brady was named as a substitute and his place was taken by Stephen McGinn - who netted the shock winner against Rangers earlier in the season.

This time around, Rangers surged into the lead after just 12 minutes with their first real chance of the game.

Pedro Mendes supplied a lovely pass to Papac, whose cut-back from the by-line fell to the feet of Boyd to rifle home from six yards.

Beasley had returned to the action having earlier been taken off on a stretcher following a hefty challenge from John Potter but was replaced by Novo shortly after the opener.

Boyd should have added to his tally when Saints goalkeeper Mark Howard dropped the ball at Novo's feet and he teed up the shot but the striker's scuffed effort fell wide.

Rangers did manage to double their advantage after 19 minutes. Mendes supplied the corner and Edu rose above everyone else in the box, leaving his marker Stephen McGinn helpless, to power home a header and claim his first goal for the club.

Mendes had a couple of cracks at goal himself but Howard was far from troubled by the long-range efforts which the midfielder blasted well over the crossbar.

Neil Alexander was then tested at the other end when McGinn met a Jack Ross cross only to see his volley collected by the Rangers goalkeeper.

The visitors were dealt another injury blow before the break when Papac was forced out of the action and replaced by Christian Dailly having earlier been the victim of a foul by Craig Dargo.

Boyd then squandered another decent opportunity on the stroke of half-time with a glancing header which Howard did well to smother.

Boyd claimed for a penalty shortly after the restart, claiming Potter had handled a Christian Dailly cross in the box, but the pleas were ignored by referee Eddie Smith.

Instead, it was Saints who found the back of the net with 56 minutes gone to haul themselves right back into the game.

McGinn started the move by slipping the ball through to Dargo and he rolled it into the path of Dorman, who side-footed home in off the far post.

Novo could have restored Rangers' two-goal advantage when he raced on to a Boyd ball to go one on one with Howard but the Saints keeper managed to block the point-blank effort.

Saints were clearly galvanised by their lifeline and pushed forward in numbers but struggled to turn their possession into real goalscoring opportunities.

They went for broke and threw Jim Hamilton into the action for the final five minutes in the hope of claiming a point which could make all the difference to their SPL survival hopes come the end of the season.

But Rangers managed to hold on for a win which was crucial as news of Celtic's emphatic 4-0 victory over Falkirk began to filter through.

Teams

St Mirren Howard, Ross, Potter (Haining 90), Cuthbert, Camara,Thomson, Dorman, Mason (Hamilton 85), McGinn, Dargo, Mehmet.

Subs Not Used: Mathers, Brady, Barron, McAusland, Quinn.

Booked: Camara, Ross.

Goals: Dorman 56.

Rangers Alexander, Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir,Papac (Dailly 36), Davis, Edu, Mendes, Naismith, Boyd,Beasley (Novo 15), Novo (Velicka 90).

Subs Not Used: Graeme Smith, Niguez, Lennon, Fleck.

Booked: Bougherra, Boyd.

Goals: Boyd 12, Edu 19.

Att: 6,231

Ref: E Smith (Scotland).