Hearts 0 Rangers 2

Naismith 21,
Jelavic 74

Ewan Murray at Tynecastle

The latest proof of the Rangers players' ability to shut out, or ignore, off-field machinations arrived in Edinburgh with a win against a club which has its own, if less high profile, troubles.

The Rangers owner, Craig Whyte, made a rare appearance at an away fixture, probably safe in the knowledge that victory would be forthcoming; Rangers have now won 13 away league games in succession, losing only a single goal in that run.

For Whyte, the latest success provided cheer to round off a week in which he was subject to more scrutiny than he welcomed. Rangers have re-established a nine-point gap over second-placed Motherwell.

"That was very, very professional," said the Rangers manager, Ally McCoist. "It was solid, a good day's work. We feel we have got big players and, up until now, they have been turning up for big games."

Hearts had their own fraught buildup to this match. Members of the first-team squad have suffered a delay in receiving their salaries, a matter which led to a meeting between players and club management on Friday. The suggestion that the money will be paid before Wednesday was offset by a warning that other bills will need to be paid for Hearts' game at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday to go ahead.

The scrappy level of football here did not exactly douse financial chatter. Hearts enjoyed long spells of possession but were blunt. Rangers, who smartly deployed Lee McCulloch in front of their defence and just a single striker, were far from their best but still suitably clinical.

Steven Naismith claimed the opening goal, generosity in the home defence having allowed Steven Whittaker to advance 30 yards with the ball before playing his team-mate in. Naismith, the league's top scorer, has nine domestic goals this season.

Adrian Mrowiec passed up a glorious chance to equalise, an error that Rangers punished. Nikica Jelavic had been left among McCoist's substitutes after suffering from a virus but stepped from the bench to send his first touch past Marian Kello. The Rangers centre-half Carlos Bocanegra was the provider, either with a hopeful punt or carefully judged chip pass, depending on your perspective.

There remained time for the visitors' goalkeeper, Allan McGregor, to brilliantly deny Ryan Stevenson. Hearts, though, had suffered on account of having no tactical Plan B before finding themselves two goals behind.

Nobody at Rangers will admit it, but their position at the league's summit appears increasingly strong.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer