Rangers eased their way into a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League as they dismantled ten-man Hearts 4-0 at Ibrox on Saturday.
Goals from Nikica Jelavic, Kyle Lafferty and Steven Davis had the Gers coasting 3-0 at the break, and the lunchtime rout was rounded off by a late own goal from Ryan Stevenson.
The third-placed Jambos had Eggert Jonsson sent off midway through the second half to round off a miserable day for them.
Jelavic missed an early chance after being played in by Steven Naismith, while Stevenson just needed to get a touch to David Templeton’s cross at the other end and he would have had Hearts ahead.
He did not get that touch and Hearts would never be ahead as Jelavic opened the scoring on 23 minutes. Davis was the architect as the former Fulham man sent in a cross for striker Jelavic to power beneath Jamie MacDonald from a tricky angle.
Walter Smith’s men continued their dominance, but had a scare when a thunderous 25-yard Ian Black drive tested Allan McGregor.
The Gers goalkeeper gathered it at the second attempt and from the counter-attack that followed his side had a second goal. The impressive Greg Wylde slipped the ball through to Lafferty and he rammed the ball past Mac Donald from 20 yards out.
Then, just before half-time, Wylde grabbed another assist as his cross deflected into Davis' path, the Northern Ireland man’s header beating MacDonald despite the goalkeeper getting a touch.
With goal difference potentially still able to have a say in the final destination in the title race, the Gers continued to seek more goals after the break, but Jelavic sent a decent chance wide with his head in the early stages of the second half.
The Croatian was then the victim of a challenge by Jonsson that referee Iain Brines deemed as violent conduct as he sent off the Icelander. A scuffle broke out after the challenge and Gers pair Naismith and Maurice Edu also went in the official’s notebook.
If it was damage limitation for Hearts before then it definitely was now as they set their task almost solely on freezing out the home attackers. Naismith, though, almost caught them out as their defence snoozed. The Scotland star swivelled and fired a shot against the post when you would have backed him to score.
Sasa Papac and Steven Whittaker also sent chances over MacDonald’s bar before El-Hadji Diouf orchestrated the fourth. His shot was saved by MacDonald, but the ball rebounded to him and his next effort went in off Stevenson to nestle in the net and end a great day for the Gers, who are now just two games away from the title.
Their comfortable win has now put real pressure on Celtic, who must beat Kilmarnock on Saturday to keep their hopes of dethroning the champions realistic.