Rangers 3 Hearts 2

Nacho Novo grabbed the headlines once again as he supplied the goals that took Rangers to the summit of the Bank of Scotland Premier League for the first time in more than a year.

The Spaniard provided two second-half goals to earn a 3-2 Ibrox victory over Hearts that was enough to leapfrog over Celtic, who had earlier been held 2-2 at Dundee.

Not since October last year had Rangers been above their city rivals in the league table.

Hearts made Alex McLeish's side work overtime for the precious points however and took a deserved lead through Paul Hartley's penalty.

Jamie McAllister put through his own goal just before half-time and when Novo netted 11 minutes after the restart a Rangers victory looked inevitable.

That was achieved through Novo's second as the Spaniard continued his hot scoring streak but only after Mark de Vries had headed Hearts level once more.

Novo may yet be punished by the Scottish Football Association for landing his studs on Celtic midfielder Stephen Pearson in the derby win last week.

But he can do little wrong as far as the Ibrox faithful are concerned and Rangers are now a point ahead with the halfway mark looming.

Winning has become a habit for Rangers since getting over a stuttering start to a season that saw them drop points at various locations, including Tynecastle.

A 3-0 win over Graz AK on Thursday extended their unbeaten run to 15 games but the Jambos also tasted success in the UEFA Cup by recording an unexpected victory in Basle.

And after surviving Dado Prso's astonishing point-blank miss in only the second minute, John Robertson's side showed why they are also doing well.

They had put together a number of passing moves that had put the home defence under pressure before opening the scoring in the 16th minute.

In the end it was route one football that undid a normally water-tight home defence with centre-back Andy Webster heading a kick upfield from Rangers goalkeeper Stefan Klos for de Vries to chase.

It was a disaster for Jean-Alain Boumsong, who had allowed his opponent to get goal-side of him, and referee Dougie McDonald had no hesitation in pointing to the spot when the Frenchman brought down the Dutchman.

Penalties to the opposition are rare at Ibrox but red cards to the men who concede them are even rarer as Boumsong escaped with a yellow to the disgust of Jambos head coach Robertson.

Hartley, who had missed the midweek win because of suspension, made no mistake from the spot and although he and Dennis Wyness were booked for fouls, Hearts remained in control as Rangers toiled to get back on level terms before the break.

Prso headed another good chance wide after good work from Novo on the right but luck was finally with Rangers in the final minute of the first half when McAllister put through his own goal from point-blank range in a desperate attempt to stop Fernando Ricksen getting on the end of a ball to the back post from Peter Lovenkrands.

Both sides made a change at the break with Maurice Ross replaced at left-back by 19-year-old debutant Steven Smith and Christophe Berra coming on for Hearts skipper Steven Pressley in central defence.

Rangers went ahead in the 56th minute through Novo, who was perhaps the only man on the park quick enough to latch on to Zura Khizanishvili's firm through ball.

No Hearts defender had a hope of catching him as he raced away down the inside right channel and the Spaniard's lift over the advancing Craig Gordon was also top class.

Hearts made a change on the hour by replacing Wyness with Graham Weir before Novo forced a save from Gordon and Lovenkrands fired just wide after turning his man on the edge of the box.

But Hearts and de Vries were not to be denied and the big Dutchman was once again conspicuously ahead of his marker to meet a neat delivery into the box from Joe Hamill and nod past Klos in the 66th minute.

Hearts made a final change in the 71st minute when Michael Stewart, the man McLeish decided not to sign on loan from Manchester United in the summer, came on for Ramon Pereira.

De Vries might have put his side ahead seconds after Stephen Hughes had replaced Hamed Namouchi in the 75th minute but although he had risen the highest to meet a McAllister delivery from the left the resulting header was wastefully high.

Gordon was required at the other end not long after and the Scotland goalkeeper did well to paw away a goalbound Marvin Andrews header from a Ricksen corner.

The reprieve was shortlived as Hughes was able to justify his late introduction by setting Novo up for the winner.

The ball broke off a defender and Hughes was able to loft a cross from the left of the box that was perfect for Novo to head home from six yards.

It was perhaps rough on the Jambos, who drop to sixth as a result, but few in Ibrox cared about that.

Teams

Rangers Klos, Khizanishvili, Boumsong, Andrews, Ross, Namouchi (Hughes 75), Alex Rae, Ricksen, Lovenkrands, Prso, Novo.

Subs Not Used: Graeme Smith, Malcolm, Mladenovic, Hutton, Steven Smith, Fetai.

Booked: Boumsong.

Goals: McAllister 45 og, Novo 56, 81.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley (Berra 45), Webster, McAllister, Wyness (Weir 59), Hartley, Kisnorbo, Hamill, de Vries, Pereira (Stewart 71).

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, MacFarlane, Janczyk, Sloan.

Booked: Hartley, Wyness, Kisnorbo.

Goals: Hartley 16 pen, de Vries 66.

Att: 48,494

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).

Taken from the BBC