Rangers came back from conceding the quickest-ever recorded goal in the Scottish Premier League to win 4-1 away to Hibernian yesterday and restore their four-point lead at the top of the table.

Anthony Stokes fired the home side ahead at Easter Road with a goal timed officially at 12.4 seconds - beating the previous record set by Hearts' Saulius Mikoliunas in 2006 - but that was as good as it got for the Edinburgh club, who still remained third after this defeat.

Scottish champions Rangers hit back through a Kenny Miller double, with Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo also scoring for the Glasgow giants as Hibs' run of 13 unbeaten league games was brought to an end in emphatic fashion.

Victory ensured Rangers would finish 2009 as league leaders, regardless of the results of Wednesday's matches when second-placed Celtic are away to Kilmarnock and the Gers are at home to Dundee United.

Merouanne Zemmama created Hibs' rapid opener, receiving the ball from the kick-off and finding a way through Rangers' defence before releasing Stokes, who shot into the far corner from a tight angle.

But the speed with which the hosts struck left Rangers with plenty of time to recover and the visitors equalised in the 21st minute through former Hibs striker Miller.

It looked as if the teams might go in level at half-time but eight minutes before the break Boyd put Rangers in front after getting on the end of a cross from Madjid Bougherra.

Hibs then suffered an even more glaring self-inflicted wound early in the second half when Ma-Kalambay, seemingly struggling with a leg injury, was beaten at his near-post by Novo's mishit cross as Rangers went 3-1 ahead.

Rangers' strike duo then combined again, with Boyd once more the provider, in the 66th minute when Miller beat the offside trap to fire in his second and his team's fourth.