Miller at the double as Rangers rally against Dons

Kenny Miller scored twice as champions Rangers came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 away to Aberdeen at Pittodrie as they maintained their perfect start to the Scottish Premier League season here on Sunday.

It looked like Rangers were about to lose ground to arch-rivals Celtic, who, on Saturday, had also made it six wins out of six, after falling behind to goals from Scott Vernon and Chris Maguire inside half an hour.

But goals either side of half-time from Scotland international Miller drew Rangers level before Nikita Jelavic’s 67th minute effort sealed the Light Blues’ first victory at Pittodrie in four years.

The win left table-toppers Rangers ahead of Celtic on goals scored while defeat was made worse for Aberdeen when Maguire was sent-off for a second yellow card three minutes from time for bringing down Steven Naismith.

Rangers’ poor Pittodrie record didn’t look like improving when the Dons took a 10th minute lead after Vernon ran onto Maguire’s pass and slotted the ball past Rangers keeper Allan McGregor.

Miller then had a shot saved by Jamie Langfield but it was Aberdeen who scored next, in the 30th minute, when Maguire turned in Darren Mackie’s cross.

Rangers were, however, given a way back into the match when Jerel Ifil brought down Vladimir Weiss inside the area to spark a penalty box melee that saw Aberdeen’s Zander Diamond and Rangers’ Naismith both booked.

When the penalty could be taken, Miller held his nerve to maintain his record of having scored in every league match so far this season.

And he levelled the match in the 52nd minute after he got on the end of Steven Davis’s left-wing cross and fired home past Langfield.

Rangers then went ahead when good work from Lee McCulloch and Miller unlocked a static Dons’ defence, appealing despairingly for offside, and Jelavic stroked the ball home.