Rangers move five points clear at top with win over Hearts at Ibrox

Rampant Rangers have eased past Hearts at Ibrox with a convincing victory to move five points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The Ibrox side blew their opponents away with three goals in the first half before adding to the score in the second to run out 5-0 winners.

Mohammed Diomande scored the opener after just two minutes before fellow January signing Oscar Cortes doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark, with both goals coming from the edge of the box.

Cyriel Dessers put the game beyond Hearts at the end of the first-half when struck a close range volley into the net as Rangers eased to victory.

The big forward made it four at the start of the second 45 before Fabio Silva made it five in what was quickly becoming a rout.

Steven Naismith’s side came into the game on the back of eleven wins and no defeats in their last 12 games, but they had no response to a clinical Rangers side playing with confidence and intent.

The pressure now cranks up on Celtic who play Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday.

Philippe Clement’s side dominated much of the first-half and they took the lead when Diomande struck past Zander Clark to make it 1-0 in the opening minutes.

Ridvan, Dessers and Tavernier all had chances to double the lead in the first half hour as Rangers eased into the game.

And just as Hearts starting to come into it with their first bit of pressure, the home side broke up the park with a counter attack before Tom Lawrence played it along the box to Cortes to curled a low effort into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Dessers got his goal to make it 3-0 going into the half-time break and all but secure the three points for the home side.

Defender John Souttar sent a flighted ball into the area before the Nigeria forward knocked it past Clark for his 15th goal of the season in all competitions.

The league leaders started the second-half the same way they started the first with a goal after two minutes when Dessers pounced on a Hearts mix up and lashed it past Clark to make it 4-0.

Substitute Silva added the fifth after meeting a ball from Lundstram to put the icing on the cake of a dominant display.