A second-half goal from Kyle Lafferty fired Rangers nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League yesterday after grinding out a narrow 1-0 win over a stubborn Hibernian side at Ibrox.
The home side struggled to break down Hibs, who had gone four matches unbeaten in the league, in the first half with Steven Whittaker blazing a stoppage-time penalty over the bar after Lafferty had been brought down by Graham Stack.
Junior Agogo twice missed chances to put Hibs in front before Rangers’ half-time substitute Jamie Ness saw his strike chopped off for offside.
Rangers finally made the breakthrough in the 68th minute when Lafferty got on the end of Gregg Wylde’s chipped pass to fire past Stack.
It was Rangers’ ninth successive league win and piles the pressure on Celtic, who face Hearts at Tynecastle today, although the Hoops have played two games less.
Motherwell leapfrogged Celtic in second place with a 3-1 win at Dundee United who conceded their fourth defeat this season.
Keith Lasley put the visitors ahead after 14 minutes with an error from goalkeeper Dusan Pernis allowing Michael Higdon to claim the vistors’ second just before the break.
Higdon scored a second from a penalty after 64 minutes after a foul by Garry Kenneth on Nicky Law, before Jon Daly got one back for United after 77 minutes.
The win moves Stuart McCall’s side up to second, a point ahead of Celtic.
Elsewhere, Inverness Caledonian Thistle remain bottom despite a 2-1 win over St Mirren and St Johnstone moved up to fourth with a 2-1 away win over Kilmarnock.
Premier League
Dundee United 1 - Motherwell 3
Inverness CT 2 - St Mirren 1
Kilmarnock 1 - St Johnstone 2
Rangers 1 - Hibernian 0
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Rangers | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 28 |
| Motherwell | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 19 |
| Celtic | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 6 | 18 |
| St Johnstone | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 15 |
| Hearts | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 12 |
| St Mirren | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 12 |
| Kilmarnock | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 10 |
| Dundee Utd | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 19 | 10 |
| Aberdeen | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 9 |
| Hibernian | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 9 |
| Dunfermline | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 9 |
| Inverness CT | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 8 |
Playing today
Hearts-Celtic - 13:45
First Division
Hamilton 0 - Falkirk 1
Livingston 1 - Raith Rovers 1
Queen of South 0 - Dundee 0
Ross County 4 - Ayr 0
Second Division
Airdrie United 5 - Stenhousemuir 2
Arbroath 1 - Cowdenbeath 1
East Fife 4 - Forfar 3
Stirling 1 - Brechin 0
Third Division
Berwick 0 - Annan Athletic 1
East Stirling 1 - Queen’s Park 3
Elgin 5 - Alloa 0
Montrose 2 - Peterhead 1
Stranraer 0 - Clyde 0