Steven Naismith scored two second-half goals Saturday to help Rangers to a 5-0 win at Motherwell and put huge pressure on fierce rival Celtic in the race for the Scottish Premier League title.
Kyle Lafferty put the defending champions ahead with the only first-half goal in the 18th minute at Fir Park. Steven Davis and Nikica Jelavic made it 3-0 before Naismith scored twice in the last 15 minutes to help boost his team's goal difference.
Rangers leads the standings by four points from Celtic, which plays the first of its two games in hand Sunday against Dundee United.
"It was important; a big game for us with Celtic playing tomorrow," Davis said. "But we just concentrated on ourselves."
Cruising at 3-0, Rangers went for more goals. Naismith exchanged passes with Jelavic and scored with a fierce long-range shot and then struck a swerving shot into the top corner from a tight angle in the final minute.
Rangers' goal difference is now inferior to Celtic's by just three.
"You have to win, first and foremost, and if you can get a few goals it's a bonus," Davis said.
Also Saturday, Aberdeen beat Inverness 1-0, St. Johnstone won 2-1 at Hibernian, and Kilmarnock held third-place Hearts to a 2-2 draw.
