SPL: Dundee Utd 0 Rangers 4

Rangers moved four points clear on top of the Scottish Premier League on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice.

United finished the match with eight men, after Mihael Kovacevic, Sean Dillon, and Morgaro Gomis were all given their marching orders by referee Willie Collum.

Kovacevic was first to go, when his foul on Steven Naismith saw Rangers awarded a penalty that Steven Whittaker duly converted to hand the visitors the lead after the 22 minutes.

That was where it stayed until just on the hour mark, when Dillon’s trip on Nikica Jelavic was enough to get him dismissed, and Whittaker again slotted home the resulting penalty.

A fine strike from Jelavic made it 3-0 after 72 minutes, but Whittaker missed a third penalty when El-Hadji Diouf was fouled by Gomis, prompting Collum to again reach for his pocket.

But with seven minutes to play, Rangers scored a fourth when a low drive from Kyle Lafferty was good enough to beat the outstretched Dusan Pernis in the United goal.

The win – Rangers fifth in succession since a 3-2 loss at Ibrox to United on April 2 – sees them move four points clear of second-placed Celtic, who have two games in hand.