ST MIRREN teenage star Stevie Mallan was part of a Buddies team that saw their four-game unbeaten run valiantly come to an end against Rangers.

But the midfielder has declared that the 1-0 loss to the Ladbrokes Championship leaders will not slow their resurgence down as they plot a course for a promotion play-off place.

Ian Murray’s team may have yet to sample victory at home in league duty this season but it was an outcome that didn't look on the cards for spells during a barnstorming 90 minutes on Sunday.

While they will be disappointed at conceding a soft goal to Jason Holt at one end, at the other they peppered Wes Foderingham with a range of strikes that the Gers keeper somehow managed to keep out.

It was an impressive performance from the team that travels to Falkirk next week to try and close the gap on fourth-placed Raith Rovers to eight points, and Mallan’s confidence in doing so has never been higher.

He said: “Not at all. Everyone knows you are expected to lose when you play Rangers or Celtic.

“I think from what we all did, in the way we pressed and worked as a team, it will boost us even more as it shows you what we can do against the bigger teams.

“I think we will go out now looking for a win against Falkirk.”

Mallan added: “Other teams will have watched how we played against Rangers and they will be able to see what we can do as a team.

“The performance from the boys was a real big effort and we will take that into next week.”

The fact St Mirren came away with zero points from this meeting had little to do with their own contribution and more to do with the heroics of the man in the opposition goal.

Foderingham pulled off a series of wonder saves – most notably from a Mallan free-kick and an early screamer from Scott Agnew – that caused his manager Mark Warburton to tip him for an England call-up.

Mallan was in agreement about the Rangers No.1’s performance, but it didn’t offer much consolation to the 19-year-old who believed his team deserved far more than what they got from the game.

“Aggy played really well and had a good few chances,” said the Saints forward, who had another impressive display on Sunday afternoon.

“Their keeper has pulled of some worldy saves, for me he was one of their best players. He kept his team in it as if one of our efforts had gone in the game could have changed.

“Saying their keeper was their man of the match just shows you. We pressed them high up and put everything at them and he has made some outstanding stops. So did Langers [Jamie Langfield] at the other end.”

Focusing on the contribution of the whole St Mirren team, Mallan added: “I thought the boys put in a great shift throughout the team. From the first minute to the last we were superb and probably should have taken something from the game.

“They took their goal well, but we had a few chances as well and we probably should have taken one to get something.”