Celtic replace Rangers as leaders

Champions Celtic knocked rivals Rangers off the top of the Scottish Premier League (SPL) with an emphatic 5-0 win over Inverness, helped by a double from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, yesterday.

Celtic took the lead through Vennegoor of Hesselink on 15 minutes when he used his knee to divert a ball from Scott Brown into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Just before the break Italian midfielder Massimo Donati fired in a second goal which took a deflection.

Japan's midfielder Shunsuke Naka-mura crashed a magnificent 25-metre shot into the top corner of the net for 3-0 in 56 minutes before Vennegoor of Hesselink headed the fourth.

Scott McDonald whipped in a low shot which was deflected past his own keeper by Phil McGuire for number five after 71 minutes.

Rangers crashed to their first SPL defeat of the season earlier yesterday as Hearts claimed their first home league win with an exciting 4-2 victory at Tynecastle.

Rangers striker Kris Boyd went off with a bad head cut, putting him in doubt for the side's Champions League clash with Vfb Stuttgart on Wednesday but Smith said there was still a chance he could play.

Hibernian drew 1-1 at Falkirk while Aberdeen lost 2-1 at home to Motherwell and Gretna slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Kilmarnock.