Rangers romped to a 4-2 away win over champions Celtic in their first Glasgow derby of the season to go top of the Scottish Premier League yesterday.

Former Celtic striker Kenny Miller notched a double in a match in which both sides were reduced to 10 men in the latter stages.

Rangers manager Walter Smith welcomed the win and expressed his surprise at grabbing four goals against their rivals.

"It was a good performance from us and an excellent result," Smith told Setanta television.

"We could never have imagined that we would have scored four goals in a place where it is very difficult to get a win."

Striker Daniel Cousin blasted Rangers ahead in the 37th minute when he surged down the right and left defender Mark Wilson in his wake before charging into the box and drilling the ball beyond keeper Artur Boruc.

Two minutes later, Celtic levelled through Greek striker Georgios Samaras. He pounced when Bosnian defender Sasa Papac knocked Aiden McGeady's cross straight to him and he rammed a low six-metre shot into the middle of the net.

Rangers went 2-1 ahead with a wonderful volley by Miller from 15 metres out on the right in the 52nd minute.

Portuguese midfielder Pedro Mendes put Rangers 3-1 up 10 minutes later with a 30-metre shot.

Rangers had Cousin sent off for his second bookable offence with 15 minutes left.

Celtic then had substitute Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink red-carded a minute later, and only four minutes after coming on, for aiming a kick at Kirk Broadfoot.

Miller made it 4-1 by seizing on a mistake by Polish keeper Boruc, who failed to hold a low cross by Broadfoot from the right and the striker side-footed the ball home from five metres in the 79th minute.

Celtic pulled a goal back through Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura in stoppage time.