Five-star Rangers back on top

Rampant Rangers returned to the top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday after a Kris Boyd hat-trick helped them to a 5-0 thrashing of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

With Celtic not playing until Sunday the home side knew a win by four goals or more would see them go top.

And the job was done by half-time with goals from Nacho Novo and Kenny Miller added to Boyd’s first-half treble giving them a 5-0 lead at the break.

Rangers took their foot off the peddle in the second-half and the biggest cheer from the home supporters came when captain Barry Ferguson made his long awaited return from injury as a substitute.

The home side dominated possession from the start and it only took six minutes for Rangers to take the lead. Boyd thundered in a free-kick from the edge of the box which Michael Fraser couldn’t hold and Novo slid home the rebound from a couple of yards out.

Rangers doubled their lead after just 13 minutes. Pedro Mendes intercepted an Inverness clearance on the half-way line and his pass sent Miller clear. The Scottish internationalist then squared the ball to strike partner Boyd who rolled the ball into an open net.

Boyd made it 3-0 just five minutes later after another perfect pass from Mendes. The Portuguese midfielder took the ball off Grant Munro and slipped the ball to Boyd in the box who beat Fraser for the second time.

The Scottish striker completed his hat-trick in the 27th minute after Miller was brought down in the box by David Proctor. Boyd buried the spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner of the net sending the keeper the wrong way.

Inverness’ only real chance of the half came in the 33rd minute when a rare mistake from Mendes allowed Andy Barrowman to shoot from the edge of the box but his weak effort was straight at Allan McGregor.

Miller made it five on the stroke of half-time after he expertly converted Novo’s cross from the by-line. The striker showed tremendous skill to turn 180 degrees and slam the ball past the helpless Fraser with a terrific first-time volley from the penalty spot.

Inverness made two changes at the break and were much improved. Munro’s header at the back post from a corner was blocked on the line by McGregor in the 55th minute before Ian Black’s volley from 25 yards out had the keeper scrambling to turn the ball over the bar after 62 minutes.

Boyd had the ball in the net again in the 71st minute when he headed home Kirk Broadfoot’s cross but the goal was chopped off as the big striker was adjudged to have pushed an Inverness defender in the box.

Rangers continued to dominate possession but a lack of urgency meant they didn’t add to their first-half haul.

Aberdeen won their first match of the season at Pittodrie after Sone Aluko gave the home side a 1-0 win against Kilmarnock.

At Fir Park goals from Chris Porter and David Clarkson were enough to give Motherwell a 2-0 over Hamilton in their Lanarkshire derby.

Ten-man Dundee United held on for goalless draw away to Falkirk after Roy O’Donovan was given a straight red in the second-half.

There were no goals at Love Street as St Mirren and Hibernian played out a 0-0 draw.