Danny Lennon calls for greater belief in Saints

St Mirren manager Danny Lennon (r) directs his team

Lennon's St Mirren have the Scottish Cup tie against Aberdeen to look forward to

St Mirren's Scottish Premier League future can be guaranteed by greater belief and better communication, insists manager Danny Lennon.

"If they go out with that wee bit of belief and perform like that in the next 10-13 games, then we'll be OK," he said after the 1-0 defeat by Rangers.

"I'm disappointed with the outcome but the last 60 minutes were excellent."

St Mirren limited Rangers to just a few efforts at Paul Gallacher's goal but rarely threatened at the other end.

They were beaten by a Kyle Bartley header at the back post after 24 minutes of their SPL home match, a result that leaves them seven points ahead of bottom club Hamilton.

Despite being without Darren McGregor and Marc McAusland, the Buddies defended stoutly in the match.

But it was a moment of lost concentration that let Rangers in, with midfielder Hugh Murray failing to track Madjid Bougherra's run into the box and Michael Higdon not matching Bartley's decisive surge.

"To be fair to Shuggy Murray, he came in at half-time and held his hand up, but we've got to react better as a team and cover mistakes," Lennon told BBC Scotland.

"(Jure) Travner headed the ball back out to where it came from.

"I felt if there had been better communication when the initial ball came in, if he got a wee shout, it's out for the goal-kick and we control possession of the game.

"Big Michael Higdon made the sin of dropping Bartley and he had a tap-in at the back post.

"So I was very disappointed with that and not picking up any points but there were a lot of pleasing things about the game."

Rangers controlled most of the possession of the game, played on a lively surface at St Mirren Park, but gradually the Buddies began to advance up the field and benefited from the excursions out of defence of David van Zanten.

Lennon added: "In the first half, once we had calmed ourselves down and made one or two passes and got into good areas where we could deliver from the wide areas, we looked a lot better.

"The message at half-time was to go out and do what they had done in the last 15 minutes of the first half and they certainly did that.

"Rangers set their stall out with three quality centre-backs and it was difficult at times.

"The chances we did get, like the one with Kenny McLean, when you get those against the Old Firm you must capitalise.

"Van Zanten was immense today."