Rangers ensured the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title race will go right to the wire with a win over St Mirren on Monday night - but the balance of power remains with Celtic.

A Kris Boyd strike and a double from Jean-Claude Darcheville means the Old Firm rivals head into the final night of the season level on points but with the defending champions four goals better off.

The destination of the silverware now rests on Rangers' trip to Aberdeen and Celtic's clash with Dundee United at Tannadice on Thursday evening.

This was Rangers' first away win in the league since the 4-0 thrashing of Hearts back in February but whether it will be enough to wrest the crown from Celtic's grasp remains to be seen.

Star defender Carlos Cuellar missed the trip to Paisley through suspension but this match was all about goals as far as Rangers were concerned and Walter Smith started with three attacking players - Nacho Novo, Boyd and Darcheville.

With 65 games under their belt already and three - including Monday's clash - still to go, the Rangers boss had no option but to go for broke in a bid to save their season ahead of a final night SPL showdown at Pittodrie.

That policy paid off almost immediately and the Ibrox side were ahead as early as the fourth minute.

Steven Davis' cross found Kirk Broadfoot unmarked in the box and he flicked a teasing ball across the face of goal. Novo failed to connect but Boyd was on hand to rifle home from close range.

Rangers failed to capitalise on the momentum of the early opening goal and Saints were handed an opportunity to restore parity when Christian Dailly was deemed to have fouled Billy Mehmet 30 yards out.

Franco Miranda's free-kick was met by Will Haining but his powerful header was held by goalkeeper Neil Alexander. Stephen McGinn then nodded narrowly over for the home side.

Following a flurry of activity from Saints, Rangers pushed forward and had the net bulging again with 23 minutes on the clock.

Stephen O'Donnell accidentally stood on the ball and gifted possession to Darcheville 20 yards out, and he had plenty of time to tee up a low, right-footed shot that left goalkeeper Mark Howard with little chance.

The match then erupted when Kevin Thomson appeared to kick the ball off Hugh Murray on the ground, sparking a melee involving both sets of players, which saw those two and Mehmet and Steven Whittaker go into referee Craig Thomson's book.

Rangers could have added to their lead a minute from the interval. Boyd failed to find the target with a header from a Davis cross and the ball broke to Darcheville, whose overhead kick cracked off the post.

Smith's half-time message would surely have been to ask for more of the same and only last-gasp defending from Saints kept the scoreline down after the restart.

Novo collected the ball just inside the 18-yard box and tried his luck with a curling effort that looked destined for the keeper's top left-hand corner until Haining cleared off the line.

The visitors continued to press and a smart shot from Darcheville was spilled by Howard but Rangers failed to capitalise on the resulting corner.

The Frenchman then turned provider only for Boyd to fail to connect properly in front of goal, before Howard held a David Weir header from Thomson's free-kick.

Rangers' hard work paid off when the St Mirren keeper was left fishing the ball out of the net again with 69 minutes gone.

This time, Boyd's lay-off found Barry Ferguson and the skipper played in Darcheville, who slotted under the body of Howard from 12 yards.

Ferguson himself could then have snatched a goal had he not fired over from close range after running onto Boyd's flick-on.

Novo was withdrawn with 15 minutes to go to make way for DaMarcus Beasley, who made his first appearance since sustaining knee ligament damage back in November. Darcheville was then replaced by Daniel Cousin.

As the clock ran down, Rangers claimed Boyd's header was handled on the line by Gary Mason but hopes of a late penalty - and another goal - were in vain.

Teams:

St Mirren Howard, Barron, Haining, Potter, Miranda, McGinn (Hamilton 56), Murray, Dorman, Mason, O'Donnell, Mehmet.

Subs Not Used: Smith, Dargo, McCay, Docherty, McAusland, Burns.

Booked: Murray, Mehmet, Dorman, O'Donnell, Hamilton.

Rangers Alexander, Broadfoot, Dailly, Weir, Whittaker, Davis, Thomson, Ferguson, Novo (Beasley 77), Boyd, Darcheville (Cousin 81).

Subs Not Used: Graeme Smith, Faye, Furman, McMillan, Fleck.

Booked: Whittaker, Thomson, Weir.

Goals: Boyd 4, Darcheville 24, 69.

Att: 7,439

Ref: C Thomson (Scotland).