Boyd helps Rangers get back on track

Rangers got back on track as the Scottish champions cruised to a 3-1 win at struggling Falkirk on Saturday.

Walter Smith’s side had suffered their first league defeat of the season at Aberdeen last weekend, but they brushed aside Falkirk thanks to Kris Boyd’s double and a Kenny Miller penalty to return to the top of the table.

Celtic can replace their Glasgow rivals in first place with a win over Aberdeen in Saturday’s later fixtures.

Madjid Bougherra was back in Smith’s starting line-up for the first time since September following his spell in the doghouse after returning late from international duty with Algeria.

Miller almost set up an early goal when he flicked on a Steven Davis corner to Boyd but the striker couldn’t keep his far-post header on target.

But there was a sense of inevitability about Bougherra’s role in Rangers’ 17th minute opener. The Algerian defender showed Smith what he can bring to the side as he supplied a low cross for Boyd to slot home from close range.

That was Boyd’s 150th league goal and he should have added to Rangers’ lead when he ran onto Miller’s precise pass and found himself one on one with Robert Olejnik, but the Falkirk goalkeeper blocked bravely before scrambling the bal clear.

Falkirk nearly equalised when Scott Arfield forced Allan McGregor to save with his legs, but Smith’s side increased their lead in the 36th minute.

Davis picked out Miller on the right and he whipped a cross into the path of Boyd, who lashed home from close range.

Just as Rangers seemed set for an easy win, Falkirk pulled a goal back four minutes before the interval when Chris Mitchell’s corner was nodded down by Pele for Moutinho to prod over the line.

Rangers could have restored their two-goal cushion within a couple of minutes of the restart when Thomson’s free-kick found Nacho Novo at the back post but his attempts to stab home were thwarted by Olejnik.

The visitors finally put the result beyond doubt in the 74th minute when DeMarcus Beasley was brought down in the box by Darren Barr.

With Boyd – who is within seven goals of Henrik Larsson’s Scottish top-flight goalscoring record – on the bench after being substituted, Miller stepped up to lash home the penalty.