Rangers cruise to 5-0 win over Motherwell

FT: Motherwell 0 Rangers 5

Rangers threw down the gauntlet to rivals Celtic in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title race by cruising to a 5-0 win at Motherwell.

Kyle Lafferty, Steven Davis and Nikica Jelavic all grabbed a goal apiece and Steven Naismith claimed a brace as the Scottish champions stretched their lead at the summit to four points.

The onus is now on Celtic to respond to the pressure and put points on the board against Dundee United on Sunday and make the most of their game in hand at Inverness midweek.

Rangers were still hungry for goals and claimed their fourth of the day with 75 minutes gone.

Naismith exchanged a one-two with Jelavic before leaving Darren Randolph with no chance with a ferocious shot from distance.

With the points secure, Rangers handed a debut to Salim Kerkar as he made his long-awaited first appearance for the club with seven minutes to go.

Naismith then put the gloss on the win with seconds to go as he lofted a shot into the top corner from a tight angle to complete the rout.