Rangers 4 - 0 Dumbarton

Rangers eased three points clear of Hibernian at the top of the Championship with a comfortable 4-0 win over Dumbarton at Ibrox.

After a goalless first half - and the start to the second half delayed as some home fans were relocated from one stand to another due to a safety issue - midfielder Jason Holt opened the scoring with a header before striker Martyn Waghorn hammered in number two on the hour-mark.

The home side took further advantage of their game in hand when substitute Nathan Oduwa, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, added a third in the 80th minute with his first goal for Rangers.

Dumbarton defender Steven Saunders was then given a straight red card by referee Crawford Allan for denying Gers skipper Lee Wallace a clear and obvious goal scoring opportunity with midfielder Andy Halliday hammering in the penalty to add some gloss to the scoreline.

Gers boss Mark Warburton made two changes to his side with striker Nicky Clark and stopper Dominic Ball in for veteran forward Kenny Miller, dropped to the bench and Danny Wilson, absent after his partner had gone into labour.

Second-bottom Dumbarton travelled to Ibrox with one point from their last five games after coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Raith Rovers on Saturday.

Unsurprisingly, the Sons emphasis in Govan was on defence.

Their wall of white shirts was almost breached in the ninth minute when Wallace took a Barrie McKay pass inside the box but his left-footed thunderbolt from 10 yards was pushed away by Dumbarton goalkeeper Mark Brown for a corner which came to nothing.

Sons midfielder Grant Gallagher had a penalty claimed turned down by referee Allan after going past Ball in the box and then the Gers defender also had a spot-kick claim turned down after he was challenged by former Motherwell defender Saunders.

Dumbarton were defending with increasing desperation and in the 35th minute Brown made a fine point-blank save, gathering the ball at the second attempt, after Clark had got his head to a James Tavernier cross.

The start to the second half was delayed for the best part of 10 minutes as some fans were moved from the bottom half of the Sandy Jardine stand to the Family stand due to fabric'' issues.

The delay seemed to affect the visitors more. Moments after the game restarted Holt had the easiest of tasks heading in Tavernier's cross for his seventh of the season.

When Waghorn hammered in number two from 25 yards for his 19th of the campaign the three points were secure and Warburton brought on Jordan Thompson and Miller for Gedion Zelalem and McKay.

Dumbarton's first-half resistance was just a memory.

Tavernier then headed a Wallace cross off the underside of the bar before Brown tipped a Thompson drive over.

Oduwa came on for Waghorn in the 76th minute and four minutes later he swept in a Wallace cross from eight yards out after good work by Miller to set up his over-lapping skipper.

When Wallace was tripped by Saunders, Halliday too the opportunity to hammered in the penalty and remind Hibs that the Ibrox men are up for the title fight.