Rangers keep the pressure on

Goals from Steven Naismith and Daniel Cousin suggested a comfortable afternoon for Walter Smith's men at Easter Road before Hibs hit back late on.

Merouane Zemmama netted with just three minutes to go but it was too little too late from the home side.

Naismith claimed the opener with just 11 minutes gone. Chris Burke pounced on Alan Hutton's throw-in before sweeping the ball into the path of the young striker who gleefully rifled into the roof of the net from a few yards out.

Rangers should have then doubled their advantage when Burke was hauled down by Ross Chisholm a few yards from the far-side corner flag and, if they had, the headlines would have been dominated by another Hibs goalkeeping blunder.

With the interval beckoning, Burke set Barry Ferguson on an impressive run which took him past three Hibs players before the goalkeeper stood tall to prevent the move ending in a goal.

Hibs took advantage of the interval to make a double switch with Patrick Noubissie and Morais making way for Guillaume Beuzelin and Alan O'Brien and an encouraging spell from the home side followed.

But any hope of salvaging at least a point was dealt a blow when Cousin helped himself to his second goal in as many games with 59 minutes gone. Burke was the provider and a thunderous 22-yard dive from the Gabon striker whizzed past Yves Ma-Kalambay into the top corner of the net.

Hibs responded by throwing Zemmama into the action in place of Clayton Donaldson. And it was the Hibs substitute who made an impact when he pulled a goal back with just three minutes remaining.

A well-placed shot from 15 yards nestled in the bottom corner and Allan McGregor would have been left wondering whether he could have done better as Rangers held on for the win.