THIS was the hangover from Hampden. The chances of champagne being sprayed at Ibrox this season get more remote with each outing.

After seeing their dreams of Betfred Cup glory ended by Celtic on Sunday, St Johnstone delivered another blow to Rangers’ Premiership ambitions at Ibrox.

Wins over Partick Thistle and Inverness either side of the international break had given boss Mark Warburton reasons to be optimistic but another derby defeat and this stalemate against the Saints has piled the pressure back on his shoulders.

Home games against Tommy Wright’s side and Kilmarnock looked like they would give Rangers a double chance to get back on track as they recovered from their Hampden heartache.

But the Gers missed the chance to move level on points with Aberdeen as they slipped-up once again on home soil. Celtic are now nine clear and still have a game in hand.

The angry reaction from the stands at the end said it all and Warburton has to quickly find the answers if he wants to keep the support on side. Many will understand the situation he is in this term, but results speak for themselves.

A Joe Garner header earned Rangers a point but this was two dropped. A night that could have provided some respect had the opposite effect for Warburton and his players.

The 54-year-old was always likely to make changes to his side for the return to league action but some were more expected than others.

The return of Wes Foderingham in goal was no surprise, and neither was the inclusion of Garner at the other end of the park. But there were also a place for Lee Hodson as James Tavernier dropped out of the team, while Michael O’Halloran and Harry Forrester started in the forward areas.

It was a chance to impress for those that came into the side and one that they had to take on a night where the pressure was on Warburton and his players. After seeing Aberdeen lose at Hamilton the previous evening, Rangers had to capitalise here.

Ibrox expected and demanded an instant response to Old Firm defeat but the roar that greeted the first goal of the night came in encouragement rather than celebration. It was Blair Alston who scored it as the home crowd were stunned after just four minutes.

The midfielder nipped in to take the ball off Hodson and curled a terrific strike over Foderingham and into the back of the net. It was a moment of magic that gave the Saints support something to cheer, and one that brought an immediate reaction from the Light Blue legions as they looked to inspire the Gers to find a quick-fire response.

The equaliser did come before the break but Rangers had to wait some time for it to come and the moans and groans had begun to reverberate around Ibrox long before Garner levelled things up.

Rangers were not at their best but they still had plenty of the ball as they found themselves in promising positions but couldn’t capitalise. A lack of cutting edge has proven costly on several occasions this term and goals once again proved hard to come by.

O’Halloran showed his pace on a couple of occasions but his efforts down the right went unrewarded. He was booked for diving by referee Kevin Clancy and then saw Jason Holt connect with a cross as keeper Zander Clark smothered a low effort.

It was Forrester, who started on the opposite flank but often found himself operating in a central area as he cut in off the left, that was at the heart of most of Rangers’ best passages of play.

When the midfielder is on his game, he has the ability to be a key player for Warburton’s side and he almost had a couple of assists as Rob Kiernan and Garner rose to meet corners after he had curled a free-kick just wide of target.

After 36 minutes, the Saints goal was finally breached. For Garner, it was relief as much as jubilation as he bulleted a header beyond Clark and notched his first goal for the Gers since the Old Firm defeat at Parkhead last month. Once again, Ibrox roared in encouragement.

Rangers now had a hugely significant 45 minutes in front of them. The second half got off to an innocuous start, though, as Danny Swanson’s deflected effort went narrowly wide of the near post and Brian Easton and Liam Craig fired just over.

The warning signs were there for Warburton. He had not seen his side lose at Ibrox since the League Cup defeat to St Johnstone last term and he could ill-afford for that run to be broken.

Swanson stung Foderingham’s palms from the edge of the area and Chris Kane forced the Gers keeper to make a low save but it was Rangers who were doing most of the pressing as they piled forward in search of a second goal.

It was to Kenny Miller that Warburton turned first in search of inspiration as he replaced Windass but the clock was against Rangers. As time ticked away, it seemed like another two points were set to be dropped.

Keeper Clark pushed a Garner header over the bar and then gathered a low effort from Andy Halliday but St Johnstone had their own sights set on victory. They were inches away from being within their grasps and Ibrox breathed a sigh of relief as Alston’s effort came back off the post.

The final stages were frantic but the Gers fans ended the night furious. A Miller effort that was cleared off the line was the closest Warburton’s side came to a winner.

Rangers will return here on Saturday for the visit of Killie. The pressure is on and only three points will do now.