Queen of the South 1 - Rangers 5

Rangers moved two points clear at the top of the Championship as they beat Queen of the South 5-1 at Palmerston.

Goals from Andy Halliday, Jason Holt and Barrie McKay plus two Martyn Waghorn penalties ensured Mark Warburton became the first Gers boss since Bill Struth in 1920 to win his first eight games in charge.

James Fowler's team did pull one back with quarter of an hour left when Aidan Smith ran in to beat Wes Foderingham.

But the damage had already been done to Queens and their 100-per-cent winning league start after Derek Lyle received a controversial red card moments after half-time following a flashpoint with Rob Kiernan.

The Ibrox men twice tripped up in Dumfries last season but there was no danger of a repeat as they extended this season's scoring tally to 30 goals in just eight games.

Holt, McKay, Danny Wilson and Kenny Miler all returned to the Gers side after being rested for the 5-0 romp over Airdrie in midweek.

The Ibrox men were three goals up within quarter of an hour as they sparkled against the Diamonds but it took them that long just to conjure their first chance against Queens.

Even then Waghorn's ambitious attempt from the halfway line was never going to trouble home keeper Robbie Thomson.

The first-half showing was not the kind of swashbuckling display which has so enthused the Rangers support so far this term but there was still enough class to cut the Doonhamers open as Halliday put his team ahead after 28 minutes.

Waghorn collected the ball in midfield and rolled it on for McKay to chase. The Murray Park youth team graduate has been one of the surprise benefactors of Warburton's arrival and he showed why as he drove inside before slipping the ball to Halliday, who cut a cute finish past Thomson for the opener.

Things should really have taken a turn for the worse on the stroke of half-time, though. Queens midfielder Alex Harris sent Ryan Conroy galloping through on goal but with just Foderingham to beat he inexplicably tried to square it for Lyle, with that act of selflessness allowing Wilson in to clear.

Instead, it was the hosts who saw their hopes evaporate as two controversial moments at the start of the second half swung the game decisively in Rangers' favour.

First Lyle was given his marching orders on 48 minutes after a face-off with Kiernan. T

he forward definitely motioned with his head towards the former Wigan defender but it was a soft call by ref Bobby Madden.

The Dumfries crowd had barely calmed down by the time they were left fuming again three minutes later when Rangers won a penalty as Andy Dowie collided with Dominic Ball as James Tavernier sent a cross to the back post.

Waghorn rubbed salt into Doonhamer wounds though as he slotted away his spot-kick.

And the game was taken away from the Queens completely on the hour mark as Holt ran on to Gedion Zelalem's pass before finishing at the second attempt.

McKay got the goal his efforts deserved on 65 minutes as he tapped home after Miller and Waghorn had played a tidy one-two down the left, while Waghorn netted once again from the spot after Iain Russell stopped Halliday's free-kick with a hand inside the box.

Smith was then able to at least put Queens on the scoreboard as he fired past the hesitant Foderingham after outpacing Kiernan.