Rangers chalked up an impressive 3-0 win against Hibernian in Edinburgh this afternoon with Kenny Miller, back on his old stamping ground, the two-goal hero as the Light Blues maintained their three-point advantage at the top of the SPL.
Manager Walter Smith made two changes from Firhill with Charlie Adam and Kenny Miller replacing Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd.
On a bright sunny afternoon in Leith, it was Rangers who threatened first when Miller shot wide from a Jean-Claude Darcheville flick in six minutes.
The home side were soon chasing the opener however - seven minutes later Derek Riordan's reverse pass released Dean Shiels through on goal only for Neil Alexander to block his drive from a narrow angle.
Hibs had the edge on pressure as the game reached the half-hour mark, which would prove to be a crucial turning-point in proceedings. Riordan's corner, headed goalwards by Souleymane Bamba, was headed off the line by Kevin Thomson whereupon Rangers broke up the park to open the scoring when Kirk Broadfoot's cross was met by Miller with a flying header into the corner of the net.
Six minutes later former Ranger Ian Murray saw his volley from a Riordan cross come back off an upright as the home side pressed for an equaliser.
Once again however the Ibrox men hit their opponents with a classic sucker punch in 39 minutes when Pedro Mendes, outstanding once again in the middle of the park, played the ball forward to Broadfoot who in turn found Miller with a wall-pass, the striker calmly slotting the ball home.
Two minutes later the game threatened to explode when Darcheville clashed with Rob Jones in the middle of the park but for once Referee Callum Murray demonstrated a modicum of common sense in settling for a yellow-card, and a stern talking-to, apiece.
Rangers were worthy of their two-goal interval lead, yet the Easter Road men had not given up the ghost entirely - Joe Keenan's shot being beaten away by Neil Alexander in 53 minutes.
Four minutes later a superb Miller chip released Darcheville through the middle only for the centre to shoot weakly wide of the target.
Adam, a regular scorer at this venue in the past, almost made it 3-0 in 63 minutes with a 22-yard free-kick that was inches wide, then two minutes later at the other end Riordan's free-kick produced an almighty scramble in front of the visitors' goal before the danger was cleared.
Adam again threatened in 68 minutes with a low inswinging corner that was scrambled behind by home goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay.
Two minutes later Novo replaced Darcheville - and shortly thereafter the win was sealed with a third goal when Thomson's free-kick was swept home by Madjid Bougherra.
The home fans were streaming out of the ground in their thousands - yet the ever-dangerous Riordan saw another testing free-kick met by the head of substitute Steve Pinau only for Alexander to prove equal to the task in 76 minutes.
Sixty seconds later Novo almost added a fourth when he stabbed Broadfoot's low driven cross inches wide.
Kyle Lafferty made a welcome return from injury in 85 minutes when he replaced Adam, and immediately afterwards Miller was not far away from completing his hat-trick when his shot from a Broadfoot chip flashed wide.
Afterwards a contented Walter Smith summed up:
"I was very satisfied with the performance. It was a really good win at a difficult venue. We started the game well. Confidence is building with every game. We might have added a few more to the scoreline, we didn't make the best of our breaks."
On two-goal Kenny Miller Smith added:
"He's enjoying playing on a regular basis. His performances have been really good. He has shown he can score goals."
HIBERNIAN Ma-Kalambay; Van Zanten, Hogg, James, Stevenson; Bamba, Shiels (Pinau 57), Keenan, Murray, ; Fletcher, Riordan (Rankin 85)
UNUSED SUBS McNeil, Yantorno, Thicot, Hanlon, Chisholm
RANGERS Alexander; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Davis, Mendes, Thomson, Adam (Lafferty 85); Miller, Darcheville (Novo 70)
UNUSED SUBS McGregor, Dailly, Boyd, Aaron, McMillan
REFEREE Callum Murray