Rangers 1 Hibernian 0

Photo by Jeff Holmes

A wonderful second-half free-kick from James Tavernier proved enough to beat Hibernian and take Rangers back to the top of the Championship.

Mark Warburton's side had beaten the Easter Road men 6-2 in their Petrofac Training Cup encounter at the start of the season but there was no chance of a repeat at Ibrox.

Indeed, Alan Stubbs' side missed chances before and after the 23-year-old former Wigan player dipped his set-piece from outside the box over Hibees keeper Mark Oxley in the 65th minute for the goal which ultimately gave the Light Blues a 1-0 win and three league victories out of three, taking them above Queen of the South on goal difference.

Five successive wins in all competitions under Gers boss Warburton, who had taken over the club in the summer, had enticed an impressive crowd of 49,220 to the sun-bathed Govan stadium.

Warburton brought back Rob Kiernan, Nicky Law, Kenny Miller, Andy Halliday and Martyn Waghorn.

Stubbs gave a first start to midfielder Liam Henderson, on loan from Celtic, with new signing from the Parkhead club, Dylan McGeouch, on the bench.

Hibs were the best team in a hurly-burly first half but in the 12th minute Waghorn might have done better than head a Barrie McKay corner over the bar from six yards.

Moments later, Rangers keeper Wes Foderingham carelessly passed straight to Hibees wide-man Martin Boyle, with Gers defender Danny Wilson having to block the shot on the stretch.

As confidence grew within the Hibs ranks, striker Jason Cummings and Boyle both had attempts to no avail.

Two minutes from the break, following a McKay corner, Hibs captain David Gray cleared a shot from Waghorn off the line.

Hibs swept to the other end with a fine move which ended with Cummings hitting a close-range shot at Foderingham, with the Easter Road side going in at the interval no doubt wondering - and with good cause - if they might rue that miss.

It was a rejuvenated Rangers side which started the second half and within three minutes Oxley turned a shot from Jason Holt round the post for a corner which came to nothing.

McGeouch then replaced the injured Gray before Nathan Oduwa came on for McKay as the tide turned again.

Foderingham saved a Liam Fontaine header in the 63rd minute before Henderson blazed a shot over the bar after the Gers defence had been exposed.

Rangers' goal came after McGeouch was punished for handball outside the penalty area, on the left-hand side.

Tavernier stepped up and fired his shot high over the defensive wall and in under the crossbar giving Oxley no chance.

It was his fourth of the season and the second free-kick against Hibs.

With the home fans still celebrating, Henderson again missed a decent chance, driving wide of the target from 14 yards and belief dissipated further before the Leith men ran out of time.