Rangers beat Hearts 4-1 to extend lead at the top

Rangers moved 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League after thrashing Hearts 4-1 at Tynecastle on Saturday.

Walter Smith’s team bounced back from their midweek Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat at Dundee United with a ruthless display that edged them closer to retaining the title.

Danny Wilson opened the scoring for Rangers early on and Suso Santana’s equaliser did little to unsettle the visitors as Kenny Miller’s strike and a second half double from Steven Naismith sealed the points.

Smith made five changes from the side that lost 1-0 at United in midweek, with strikers Kris Boyd and Miller both back in the starting line-up.

While Rangers’ treble hopes are over, they wasted little time gettting that Cup defeat out of their system as Wilson opened the scoring the fifth minute.

Kevin Thomson curled over a free-kick that picked out Wilson at the back post and the young defender powered home a header for his first goal for the Scottish champions.

Gary Glen had the ball in the back of the net for Hearts a few minutes later but was correctly flagged for offside.

The hosts didn’t have to wait long to equalise. In the 16th minute, Sasa Papac made a hash of clearing and the ball fell for Santana and he unleashed a superb volley which flashed past Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Rangers responded well to that setback and Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald was called into action to tip a Steven Davis shot over the bar.

MacDonald then raced off his line to deny Boyd and pushed a Miller effort over.

But Miller found a way past the Hearts keeper in the 31st minute when he headed home after Naismith’s shot cannoned back off the bar.

Smith’s side took complete control four minutes into the second half as Naismith got on the scoresheet.

He timed his run well to collect a Steven Whittaker pass before slotting his shot into the bottom corner to claim his first goal since September.

Hearts went close to reducing the deficit when a fierce effort from Marius Zaliukas was kept out by McGregor.

Naismith rubbed salt into Hearts’ wounds in the 77th minute. The midfielder won a free-kick and made his way into the penalty area to meet the set-piece from Davis with a glancing header that gave MacDonald no chance.