Whittaker, Boyd take Rangers top

Doubles from Steven Whittaker and Kris Boyd helped Rangers return to the top of the Scottish Premier with a 4-1 thrashing of a beleaguered Hamilton Academical side.

It was a stroll for the champions against an Accies side who find themselves rooted to the bottom of the league with no points after three games.

Whittaker had fired Rangers into the lead before Boyd headed a second before half-time.

Goal machine Boyd made it a double as he finished off a free-flowing passing move 20 minutes into the second-half before Whittaker curled his second past Tomas Cerny from the edge of the box.

Mark McLaughlin headed a late consolation for Hamilton. The win puts Rangers three clear of Old Firm rivals Celtic, who play Hibernian on Sunday. The Accies defence, which had conceded six goals in the opening two fixtures, was put under pressure from the off as Rangers laid siege to the Hamilton goal.

Steven Davis had a chance to give Rangers an early lead. A long ball over the top was confidently controlled by Davis but his shot was blocked by Cerny and the Northern Ireland international sent the rebound into the side netting.

At the other end a slip-up by Madjid Bougherra let in Marco Paixao but the Portuguese forward fired his shot well over the bar. Davis again had a sight of goal in the eighth minute when he ran on to Pedro Mendes’ lay-off in the box but the midfielder’s curling effort lacked power and was easily saved by the keeper.

A goal for the home side was inevitable and Whittaker rifled Rangers into the lead in the 19th minute. Davis cut open the Hamilton defence with a perfect through ball which Whittaker raced on to and sent a low angled drive past the helpless Cerny from just inside the box.

Boyd doubled the lead with 26 minutes gone. The Scottish striker outmuscled McLaughlin at the back post to meet Sasa Papac’s high deflected cross and head it back across goal and into the net.

On the stroke of half-time David Weir directed his header just wide from a swerving Mendes corner.

Rangers started the second-half where they had left off. Bougherra met Kenny Miller’s chipped cross at the back post on the chest but the Algerian showed why his talents are more suited to defence when he sent his shot high over from yards out.

Allan McGregor, now reinstated as Rangers’ keeper following his fall from favour at the end of last season, produced a fine double save on the hour mark. He pushed out a James McArthur effort at his near post before bravely diving at the feet of substitute Leon Knight to block the rebound.

Rangers soon regained the initiative and added to their tally with a well worked goal in the 65th minute. Davis sent Steven Naismith scampering down the left wing and his cutback landed at the feet of Boyd, who slammed it home.

Two minutes later Whittaker produced a fine solo goal to get his second of the game. The Scotland star collected the ball on the right and cut in to send a curling shot round several players and into the bottom corner of the net.

With three minutes to go McLaughlin gave the travelling Hamilton fans something to cheer about with a late consolation goal, heading in off the bar from a Luis Rubiales corner.

St Mirren came from behind to defeat Kilmarnock 2-1 at Rugby Park. Aberdeen and Motherwell ended goalless while former Everton striker Danny Cadamarteri got on the scoresheet as Dundee United defeated Falkirk 2-1.