Derek McInnes hails Ryan Naderi for taking on penalty duties at Rangers after victory at St Mirren

It appeared a soft award in the 18th minute in Paisley when referee Nick Walsh judged that Saints’ Samuel Ramos had fouled Gers left-back James Penrice just inside the box.

Naderi, with a stuttering run up, casually sent St Mirren keeper Jacob Chapman the wrong way for his ninth goal of the season – with five assists to boot – and skipper Dan Neil’s deflected strike after 31 minutes clinched the points.

Lawrence Shankland scored twice from the spot for the Light Blues this season before he was injured and Kim Min-su missed from the spot, but former Aberdeen and Hearts manager McInnes was pleased to see Naderi so composed and confident.

He said: “We’ve inherited a squad where James Tavernier took everything. Free-kicks, throw-ins, corners, penalties. Last year, Connor Barron, Thelo Aasgaard, took them as well. We don’t have them.

“We’ve inherited a squad who don’t really have a set-piece taker and a penalty taker.

“It was up for debate at the start of the season and we obviously had Lawrence, and with Lawrence out we had to work towards it. Ryan’s been practising penalties more or less every day.

“He’s been doing that penalty and he just looks more and more confident taking that type of penalty. Good on him for that because every team needs to have that confidence.

“I need to know that whoever’s taking the penalty, standing over it, I think he’s going to score.

“I’ve been very fortunate through my career, whether it’s Adam Rooney, Lawrence Shankland or whoever, that they’re going to score these penalties. They’re big moments in the game because if you miss that, it can work the other way.

“Set-pieces will certainly get better but I thought we were a bit more threatening with that again tonight. I thought some of the deliveries were really good.”

St Mirren boss Craig McLeish was less than impressed by the penalty award and claimed there was “no point” speaking to Walsh afterwards.

He said: “My thoughts on the penalty. If that’s the criteria for contact in the box, then fine.

“But Kabs (Ismeal Kabia) gets wiped out in the second half after he puts a cross in. I don’t even know if anyone looks at it.

“We get an apology after the game at Ibrox for a penalty that we should have got on Kabs again where there was a decent amount of contact on it.

“I get that if the ref gives it on the field, then it’s maybe difficult for VAR to overturn it.

“I think if he doesn’t give it there and then, I don’t think VAR gets involved to give it.

“It’s a difficult one and it’s a frustrating one from our point of view, but there’s also bits leading up to it getting to that situation that we need to deal with better.

“I need to be careful with what I’m saying. It’s a frustrating one from our point of view.”