Attendance 44,662
Rangers eased their way to a comfortable win over St. Johnstone at Ibrox this afternoon - the 3-0 win in no way reflecting the home side's overwhelming superiority.
Manager Walter Smith made four changes from Seville, with Neil Alexander replacing the injured Allan McGregor and Kirk Broadfoot (playing for the first time in nine months), Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd coming in for Steven Whittaker, Lee McCulloch and Steven Smith against a visiting side that contained two former Rangers players - namely goalkeeper Graeme Smith and Jonatan Johansson.
The home side got off to the perfect start when Boyd opened the scoring inside the first minute following good work from DaMarcus Beasley.
It was all Rangers - six minutes later Kenny Miller's scissors kick following a Novo run was turned wide by Smith.
Alexander was tested on the quarter-hour mark when he touched away Chris Millar's twenty-yard drive from a Murray Davidson pass.
Eight minutes later it was back to the other end when Sasa Papac's shot on the turn from a Boyd header was deflected wide of the target.
Boyd made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in 27 minutes when Novo was upended by Smith.
The one-way traffic continued unabated throughout the first-half - from a Beasley free-kick in 39 minutes Broadfoot chested the ball down to Miller who volleyed over.
Four minutes later Boyd should have completed his hat-trick when, following excellent work down the left between Novo and Miller the latter's cutback presented the unmarked striker with a clear sight of goal only to to see his shot blocked by the legs of Smith.
Boyd did have the ball in the net again before the break from another Miller pass only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
Five minutes after the restart it was 3-0 when Beasley's cross from the right found Miller whose shot was blocked by Smith only for the inrushing Novo to ram the ball home.
Saints finally reached the home penalty area on the hour when from substitute Kenny Deuchar's head-flick Millar's header was held by Alexander.
Rangers' pace on the wing was creating havoc in the visitors' defence with both Beasley and Novo outstanding - and the Spaniard was denied by the woodwork in 63 minutes when, following a Miller break down the left, Novo cut inside before seeing his low shot from the edge of the box come back off a post.
Seven minutes later Beasley's mazy run ended with an eighteen-yard run that was turned wide by Smith.
John Fleck substituted for Beasley in 72 minutes, then six minutes later Kyle Lafferty replaced Miller.
The Ulsterman was soon in the thick of the action when his run down the left produced a cross that Boyd laid off into the path of Fleck who shot over.
Rangers had squandered any number of chances to increase their lead, in part due to an inclination to present Boyd with a hat-trick - with one opportunity involving both Lafferty and Boyd in 84 minutes having to be seen to be believed.
In the dying minutes from a Novo corner Papac sent a twenty-yard curler flashing past the post - and Rangers had to be content with a 3-0 win.
Afterwards a contented Walter Smith commented:
"We're delighted with the win. We got off to a great start and created a number of goal-scoring opportunities. We should have scored more goals, but Graeme Smith had some excellent saves. Everyone worked very hard. Kirk Broadfoot did very well considering the length of time he's been out."
RANGERS Alexander; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Beasley (Fleck 72), Davis, Thomson (McCulloch 61), Novo; Miller (Lafferty 78), Boyd
UNUSED SUBS Gallacher, Whittaker, Little, Wilson
ST. JOHNSTONE Smith; Mackay, Gartland (Irvine 86), Anderson, Grainger; Millar, Davidson, Morris, Morais (Swankie 67), Moon; Johansson (Deuchar 57)
UNUSED SUBS Main, Craig, May, Durnan
REFEREE Dougie McDonald