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Rangers moved to within a point of Celtic at the top of the SPL as Kris Boyd sent a little message to Walter Smith in their 2-1 win over St Mirren.

Boyd tends to get left out of Rangers' big games, particularly in Europe, but he gave Smith a reminder of his worth by scoring both goals in Saturday's victory.

On a weekend when a David-and-Goliath boxing match is dominating the headlines, Ibrox played host to an encounter every bit as lop-sided, with 52-time league champions Rangers hosting St Mirren, a club who could only field six substitutes at kick-off.

That gulf became immediately evident within 19 seconds of kick-off, the Gers assuming their role as Goliath through the instincts of Boyd.

Nacho Novo was the man to cause the problems, sending in a cross-cum-shot that Paul Gallacher found too hot to handle, and Boyd was more awake than anybody to tap home.

Never mind a slingshot, St Mirren appeared to need an entire cavalry for back-up.

The expected onslaught did not materialise though and by the interval the Buddies had every reason to feel unlucky not to be level.

Andy Dorman was the first to signal St Mirren's fight, forcing Allan McGregor into action from 30 yards, before Boyd should have added a carbon copy second for the Gers, shooting wide after a swift counter-attack.

The visitors would come closest to bagging the game's second goal before half time though, Garry Brady bending a beauty after a 12-pass move by St Mirren, but the ball clattered back off the post and bar.

Billy Mehmet threatened again before the break, tip-toeing into the area to force McGregor to parry, and it was hardly a rapturous applause that greeted the Gers as they retreated to their changing rooms at half time.

Banners in the crowd fought the protest for Boyd to start every match, yet the striker was doing his own promotional work by adding a second tap-in 10 minutes into the second half, once again from Novo's shot.

He should have had a third too when a header crashed off the bar, but Rangers ended up hanging on at the death as Stephen O'Donnell set up a nervy final five minutes.

Dundee United leapt up to fourth in the table with a pulsating 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Damian Casalinuovo was the United hero, scoring both goals, the first of which came from the spot after a Garry Hay foul.

Nicky Weaver deserved just as much credit though, making a string of fine saves, including an unbelievable stop to deny Kevin Kyle.

Miraculous effort of the day came from Hamilton, who played for an hour with 10 men and saved a penalty to battle for a 2-2 draw with Motherwell.

Guillaume Beuzelin was the man to see red for two bookings inside five first-half minutes, and things could have got worse for the Accies had Tomas Cerny not saved Ross Forbes' penalty.

Simon Mensing then gave Hamilton an unlikely lead only to see Jamie Murphy cancel it out with a 35-yard goal-of-the-season contender, but the Accies restored their advantage through Marco Paixao's late header.

The 10 men could not hold out though, and Lukas Jutkiewicz pounced at the death to save Motherwell's blushes.

In the day's other game Aberdeen picked up a much-needed 2-1 victory over St Johnstone, Lee Miller the late penalty hero for the Dons.

Sone Aluko's 15th-minute goal had Aberdeen ahead for the majority of the match, but Liam Craig levelled with 15 minutes left to anger the Pittodrie crowd.

However, Daniel Grainger brought down Miller with seven minutes remaining and the striker dusted himself down to slam home the winner.

Ben Blackmore / Eurosport