Alan Cochrane @ Ibrox Stadium

Rangers' goalkeeper Allan McGregor may have had three outstanding saves in the first 45 minutes, but it was the home side that were three goals up at the break, and Killie were on a damage limitation exercise in Govan once again.

With the game only three minutes old, Garry Hay sent over a cross to the back post, and Allan McGregor threw himself to his left to turn Kevin Kyle's net-bound effort round the post . At the other end, with a static Killie defence trying to play offside, Kris Boyd ran through and slotted the ball neatly past Mark Brown.

Killie then had to work hard to stem a Rangers onslaught, but they did manage to break upfield, and Pascali would be disappointed when he didn't connect properly with another Hay cross, to give McGregor an easy take. Rangers again broke forward though, and this time it was the other half of the light blue strike force who did the damage, when Kenny Miler got Rangers' second.

The second of McGregor's saves came when he dived to push away a Kyle shot which he manufactured with no back-lift at all. With just over half an hour gone, Rangers made the game safe when Whittaker followed up a shot which Brown beat out, to shoot past the stranded keeper. Before half time, Skelton should have got one back when he intercepted a loose Rangers pass, bore down on goal, but allowed the ball to run too far, and McGregor came out to block.

The second half was a much less traumatic experience for Killie, and if Rangers didn't play at the same intensity as in the first period, at least the visitors' heads didn't go down. In fact, Killie were a lot better, with Wright and O'Leary much steadier at the heart of the defence, and the visitors getting more possession and making more chances than they have done in recent visits to Ibrox. Both sides had a few chances, with Kevin Kyle heading onto the top of the net, a Lafferty header miraculously cleared off the line by a combination of Fowler and Pascali, Thomson hit the post after being put clear by Lafferty, and McGregor turned a great Hay free kick round the post right at the end. Some pride was restored.

Amongst the slew of substitutions that came in the last half hour, one was enforced. Kevin Kyle got a knock in the face which opened a nasty cut that may see him sidelined for a week or two. Then again, he may just wear a mask.

Rangers: McGregor, Whittaker, Weir, Wilson, Papac, Davis, McCulloch, Thomson, Naismith (Novo), Boyd (Lafferty), Miller (Fleck)

Kilmarnock: Brown, Hay, Fowler, Wright, Bryson, Pascali (Owens), Skelton (Taouil), O'Leary, Kyle (Russell), Fernandez, Hamill

Referee: Alan Muir