EVERY team that is crowned league champions has games during the course of the season where they fail to perform at their very best but still, through sheer force of will or by some stroke of good fortune, prevail.

The narrow Rangers win over Celtic, which sent them no fewer than 19 points clear at the top of the Premiership table and increased their chances of lifting their first Scottish title since 2011 significantly, at Ibrox yesterday was one of them.

Steven Gerrard’s team were completely outplayed by Neil Lennon’s side in the first-half and had their goalkeeper Allan McGregor, who pulled off a series of outstanding saves, to thank for keeping them on level terms.

A Callum McGregor own goal at a James Tavernier corner in the second-half, which came after their opponents had been reduced to 10 men with the ordering off of Nir Bitton, gave them a lead they scarcely deserved. They didn't manage a shot on target during the 90 minutes.

Yet, the final outcome, not the quality of the performance, was all that mattered for Rangers yesterday and they duly delivered the result they required.

Nobody, not Gerrard nor Lennon, was prepared to say the league was over afterwards. But it will take a collapse of huge proportions for the runaway leaders to blow it now even if their nearest challengers still have three games in hand. It is looking increasingly as if 2021 will, at long last, be their year.

Celtic gave an early taste of what was to come in the third minute when Callum McGregor burst upfield past Tavernier and fed Odsonne Edouard outside him. Fortunately for the Rangers captain, Allan McGregor denied the striker.

When Alfredo Morelos barged into Jeremie Frimpong on the touchline just in front of him soon afterwards Lennon was incensed. He took exception to a comment from the opposition dugout and stormed across to confront the individual responsible.

Gerrard intervened and shooed his opposite number away and fourth official Nick Walsh spent some time speaking to Lennon on the edge of the technical area in an attempt to calm the situation. It was obvious that much was at stake and tensions were running high.

But the Northern Irishman was content with most of what he witnessed during the opening 45 minutes; his side dominated possession, carved out several excellent scoring chances and prevented their hosts from gaining any kind of foothold in proceedings with their relentless pressing.

Only Allan McGregor kept the scoreline goalless. The save the experienced Rangers goalkeeper produced from a Leigh Griffiths shot in the 22nd minute was as good and as important as any he has pulled off in his lengthy career. He palmed the attempt onto his right post and out for a corner.

Celtic left back Diego Laxalt did superbly to dispossess Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos three minutes before half-time after Kemar Roofe had sent his team mate clean through on goal by flicking on an Allan McGregor clearance. But the home side hardly threatened.

Lennon had persevered with Vasilis Barkas, the Greek keeper who has struggled to find form since moving to Scotland in a £5m transfer from AEK Athens in the summer, in goals and selected Nir Bitton, whose favoured position is in midfield, at centre half. But neither man was tested.

Whatever was said in the home dressing room, though, had the desired effect. Ianis Hagi came on for Roofe, who had suffered a quad injury, at the start of the second-half and Rangers fared far better thereafter.

Still, the match turned on a refereeing decision in the 62nd minute after Tavernier had supplied Morelos down the right flank. The forward got in front of Bitton and the defender blatantly pulled him down. The match official reached straight for his red card.

Did the offence deserve to be punished with an ordering off? Was it a clear goalscoring opportunity? Morelos was some way out and heading towards goal at an angle.

Lennon immediately threw on Shane Duffy for Griffiths and Mohamed Elyounoussi for David Turnbull. Celtic continued to pressurise their rivals. But far too often their players took the wrong option or misplaced a pass as they neared the final third.

When Borna Barisic had a free-kick deflected out by the defensive wall in the 70th minute Rangers won a corner. Tavernier curled a dipping delivery into the Celtic six yard box and Aribo got the slightest of touches.

The ball struck the shoulder of Callum McGregor, who was helpless to get out of the way, and spun beyond Barkas and into his own net. Jubilant cheers from the Rangers players, coaching staff and officials rang out around the eerily quiet stadium.

Lennon responded by replacing Ismaila Soro with Scott Brown and Ryan Christie with Hatem Elhamed and pushed Frimpong forward to the right wing. His men pushed for a quick equaliser and Elyounoussi volleyed just over from long-range.

A bad Duffy foul on Ryan Kent in the middle of the park led to both teams coming together in a shoving match and Bobby Madden showed yellow cards to the defender, Morelos and Callum McGregor once it had been broken up.

Celtic’s fought valiantly to the final whistle but were unable to grab the equaliser. The display was a vast improvement on their showing in the Old Firm game at Parkhead back in October. But their hopes of making football history by completing 10-In-A-Row appear to be over.