Stopping Celtic stretching gap to eight points was vital for Rangers, insists Derek McInnes

Derek McInnes insists it was “very important” to prevent Celtic from stretching the gap at the top to eight points even this early in the season.

Rangers cut that lead to just two after Ryan Naderi scored the only goal of the game on Sunday as the Ibrox side secured their second derby victory in seven days.

The Light Blues, who sit second in the Scottish Premiership table, will take on Kilmarnock at Ibrox when domestic action returns after the international break, while Celtic will face Motherwell at Fir Park.

The Rangers manager claimed “we’d have heard a lot about it” if his side had fallen further behind in the table.

“Absolutely delighted,” he said. “I thought it was a thoroughly deserving three points. But in the context of the season, it was very important, I think, we’d have heard a lot about it if we lost that and then the gap would stretch to eight points at this early stage.

“So I think it was important for closing that gap, but also important in terms of when you’ve got such a young squad, having the belief and the confidence, and you take the good from this type of environment to win the game because, although we won 1-0, we should have scored more.”