WHEN Mark Warburton emerged from Rangers’ Betfred Cup defeat to Celtic on Sunday to insist that the gap between the sides was narrowing, there was a near inevitability about what would happen next.

And, sure enough, just three days later, Celtic made those words look hollow by moving further clear of their old rivals in a title chase that is already beginning to look like a procession. It is difficult to see the gulf between the two clubs getting any closer any time soon.

If Rangers had hoped for an immediate, restorative tonic following their disappointment at Hampden, then they found in St Johnstone an opponent not of a mind to play ball.

Read more: Warburton sympathetic towards fans' frustrations after Rangers draw at home againGlasgow Times:

The end result – a third home league draw of the season – combined with Celtic’s victory away to Ross County leaves Rangers nine points adrift of the league leaders having played a game more. Perhaps of greater concern to a home crowd who made their frustrations known at full-time is that Warburton’s side now sit in fifth place in the table and are not discernibly better than the teams around them.

What can be safely deduced from the opening quarter of this league campaign is that the once-fabled Ibrox fear factor is no more. A relatively kind fixture list had delivered eminently winnable early home matches against Hamilton Academical, Partick Thistle, Motherwell, Ross County and now St Johnstone.

Read more: Warburton sympathetic towards fans' frustrations after Rangers draw at home again

Some have been beaten, some have salvaged draws, but none have come here and cowered as many would have done on visits to Ibrox in years gone by. Home advantage is not what it used to be for Rangers, and in a division as competitive as this one, that failure to make crowds of 50,000 work in their favour is already proving costly.

St Johnstone certainly never seemed daunted by their surrounds, not in the way they began the game nor in the manner in which they approached the second half. Some teams may have considered sitting in and battling for a draw having seen an early lead erased, but not this one. Instead St Johnstone sensed a vulnerability about the Rangers defence, the home fans howling in anguish every time their side made playing a simple ball out of defence look as complicated as advanced calculus. In the end, only poor finishing and assured goalkeeping denied St Johnstone the victory their endeavour perhaps deserved.

They remain the last away team to depart Ibrox with a victory and a goal within five minutes had them contemplating a repeat of 13 months ago. It was a strike out of nothing, Blair Alston nicking the ball from Lee Hodson’s toe before turning and arcing a terrific shot over Wes Foderingham and into the far corner of the net for his first St Johnstone goal since his summer move from Falkirk.

To their credit, Rangers quickly recovered and would go on to dominate the remainder of the first half. They would eventually disappear up the tunnel at the break deservedly level. Having already tested Zander Clark with a swerving Harry Forrester shot before falling behind, Rangers would continue to beat a regular path towards the St Johnstone goal.

Lee Wallace darted forward from full-back to bash in a shot that was saved, Joe Garner had an attempt smothered by a block from Brian Easton, before Forrester wriggled through again only to slip as he was about to release his shot. Garner had another effort repelled by Steven Anderson, Wallace dragged a shot wide, before Jason Holt then missed the best of the lot, shooting too close to Clark after being expertly set up by a run and cross from O’Halloran. When Garner was then denied a penalty after Anderson appeared to catch him, you began to wonder if this – again – might not be Rangers’ night.

But they were nothing if not persistent, even if there was an element of dubiety about their equaliser when it arrived after 37 minutes. St Johnstone were adamant former player Michael O’Halloran had taken the last touch as the ball rolled behind their goal line – Chris Millar complained so vehemently it earned him a booking – and their frustration was compounded when Garner was able to rise highest to header the resultant corner high into the net.

Read more: Warburton sympathetic towards fans' frustrations after Rangers draw at home again

It was only the striker’s second ever Rangers goal and his first at Ibrox, his celebrations no doubt tinged with as much relief as joy. Back on level terms, only a smart save from Clark stopped Josh Windass from handing Rangers a half-time lead.

Momentum seemed to be building in their favour but it evaporated along with the half-time cups of tea. Instead it was St Johnstone who emerged renewed, laying a yellow siege on the Rangers goal for much of the second half. How they failed to score again remains something of a mystery. Danny Swanson had the first attempt, waltzing past Jason Holt who stood, curiously, with his hand in the air as if trying to hail a passing taxi, only for his shot to be deflected wide. It would continue in such a fashion, Easton, Craig, and Alston all trying their luck from various distances and with differing degrees of accuracy. Swanson and Chris Kane came close again, before Alston hit a post. Rangers’ riposte was a Garner downwards header that was easily tipped over, while there was one last chance when substitute Kenny Miller had a shot a cleared off the line. But it was too little, too late. They are getting accustomed to that at Rangers nowadays.