Rangers stay five points behind Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premier League despite a 2-0 win over struggling Hibernian at Easter Road on Wednesday.
Madjid Bougherra and Nikica Jelavic got the goals as the Gers bounced back from their weekend defeat at Hearts. They still have two games in hand on the Bhoys, themselves 4-0 winners over Hearts also on Wednesday.
Home goalkeeper Graeme Smith denied Rangers’ Steven Naismith early on after good set-up play from the lively Vladimir Weiss.
Walter Smith’s side, as you might imagine, were doing most of the attacking and Jelavic, making his first start in four months after an ankle injury, was also foiled by Smith before Allan McGregor denied Danny Galbraith in what was Hibs’ first chance of note.
Hibernian have defended poorly all season though and they were again exposed on 26 minutes after Weiss was fouled on the left channel by Kevin McBride. The on-loan Manchester City man got up to whip in the resulting free, which was headed straight into the path of Bougherra on the right of the area and he sent an angled volley to Smith’s far corner for 1-0.
The lead was then doubled nine minutes later when Hibs debutant Richie Towell – a Celtic loanee – misjudged a backpass to Smith and Jelavic ran in to take advantage, taking the ball around the goalkeeper and rolling it into an empty net. That left his side in control with a 2-0 interval advantage.
McGregor kept out a stinging Ian Murray volley not long after the break as Colin Calderwood’s men tried to snatch a foothold back in the game, Merouane Zemmama also worrying the visiting goalkeeper when his 25-yard free-kick flew just wide.
Smith stopped Naismith from picking out Kyle Lafferty as Rangers tried to kill the game with a third. But in the end there was no need of one as Hibs could do nothing more about their deficit, other than keep it at two when Smith blocked Steven Davis from point-blank range.