Rangers edge Aberdeen to ease pressure on McInnes after European exit

[p]The Glasgow giants were eliminated by Czech minnows [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jablonec/CM8ySpMH/"]Jablonec[/a] in the Conference League play-offs on Thursday, meaning there will be no European group stage football at Ibrox for the first time since the 2017/18 season.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shankland-lawrence/QeWoXCac/"]Lawrence Shankland[/a]'s second-half penalty [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aberdeen-AmdbMiWq/rangers-8vAWQXNS/?mid=jZTkqtvA"]earned a much-needed win for McInnes[/a] to ease the questions over his future after just eight games in charge.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rangers/8vAWQXNS/"]Rangers[/a] began the day already eight points adrift of rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celtic/QFKRRD8M/"]Celtic[/a], but were rewarded for a more purposeful performance.[/p][p][b]"Probably for the first time this season, I've really enjoyed watching the team," [/b]said McInnes, who was minutes away from leading Hearts to the title last season and ending the Old Firm domination of Scottish football.[/p][p][b]"Strong performance, deserved win. I thought we were good in the game. I thought we looked like a team, a sense of the team that I would like us to be."[/b][/p][embed guid="d1928533-b938-4783-950e-3bce45e605fd" url="https://x.com/RangersFC/status/2094045599528001925?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]South Korean winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-min-su/fNcEL6NG/"]Kim Min-su[/a] was thrown straight in for his debut in one of four changes to the side beaten 1-0 on the night and then on penalties in the Czech Republic.[/p][p]Min-su impressed, but it was Rangers' other winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gassama-djeidi/CrOqdcNj/"]Djeidi Gassama[/a] who won the decisive spot-kick 21 minutes from time.[/p][p]Shankland sent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muller-marius/OYbFR8ut/"]Marius Muller[/a] the wrong way from the spot for only his second goal since joining from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hearts/0rGrwwNc/"]Hearts[/a], both of which have come from the penalty spot.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aberdeen/AmdbMiWq/"]Aberdeen[/a] skipper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nisbet-kevin/Y1RqmfMp/"]Kevin Nisbet[/a] thought he had equalised nine minutes from time but was judged to have pushed defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sterling-dujon/Cfi2K342/"]Dujon Sterling[/a] before heading home, and the goal was ruled out.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="6f319c93-fcdf-4d8d-a631-5d251c12ddf3" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d5f7caad-8fd3-4a14-9ae0-049fbab124c7" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-mirren/tAVXZEyT/"]St. Mirren[/a] missed the chance to move level with Celtic at the top of the table as Jardell Kanga's stoppage-time equaliser rescued a point for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/motherwell/YuW7ZfMM/"]Motherwell[/a] in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/motherwell-YuW7ZfMM/st-mirren-tAVXZEyT/?mid=00RUeJNF"]a 3-3 draw.[/a][/p][p]Motherwell had led 2-0 and missed a penalty before the Buddies struck three times in 10 minutes towards the end of the first half.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hibernian/f5Fnxcx4/"]Hibernian[/a] put their own disappointment at missing out on the Conference League group stages with a late defeat to Gent on Thursday with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/dundee-fc-hjIyrgaj/hibernian-f5Fnxcx4/?mid=8YITybWq"]a 2-1 win at Dundee[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/scotland/premiership/"]Follow the Scottish Premiership with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]