Rangers run Pars ragged

Tore Andre Flo scores Rangers' second

Dunfermline 1-4 Rangers

Rangers brushed off any fears their fans may have had about the growing injury list at Ibrox with a convincing display at East End Park.

Despite missing several key first team players, Dick Advocaat's men dominated the game against the early league leaders.

Goals from Russell Latapy and Tore Andre Flo gave the visitors a first half cushion, while Bert Konterman was the unlikely source of a second half double.

A bizarre own goal from Rangers goalkeeper Stefan Klos was all Dunfermline had to show for their toils.

Fine performance

With Reyna, Amoruso, Ferguson, Nerlinger, Moore, Caniggia and McCann all missing through injury, Rangers were expected to be given a tough time by Dunfermline.

But the makeshift side were straight out of the blocks, with Michael Mols, Flo and Latapy all looking sharp.

But the star man was the much maligned Konterman who bossed the midfield and capped a fine performance with a late strike from 22 yards.

Indeed, were it not for Marco Ruitenbeek in the Dunfermline goal, Rangers might have had more, with Andrei Kanchelskis having a number of good efforts turned away by the Dutch keeper.

Stephen Hughes congratulates Latapy

Ruitenbeek looked at fault for Rangers' opener, however. Latapy was pulled down just outside the Dunfermline penalty area and the little midfielder curled the free kick low into Ruitenbeek's right-hand corner.

The keeper was stranded in the middle of his goal, though he was not aided by Barry Nicholson jumping out of the way of the ball.

That deserved breakthrough came in 13 minutes and four minutes later, Rangers doubled their lead.

Konterman did well down the left and his ball into the middle found Flo on the edge of the area.

The Norwegian found space for the shot and fired low past Ruitenbeek, though the keeper's view was obscured by Andrius Skerla who made a diving effort to block the effort.

Rangers coasted the rest of the first half and they seemed to make the points safe within two minutes of the restart when Konterman rose unchallenged to head home from Latapy's corner.

Flo and Ricksen show their delight

An uncharacteristic error from Klos gave the home side a glimmer of hope five minutes later though.

A near post corner deceived the German and his poor connection with an attempted punch saw the ball sail into his own net.

That gave Dunfermline an obvious lift and, for the first time in the match, they looked like they could threaten the Rangers defence.

But in reality Rangers were the team who looked genuinely capable of adding to their tally, with Kanchelskis forcing Ruitenbeek into a series of fine saves.

Their work was completed after Skinner was ordered off for deliberate handball and from the resultant free kick, Konterman left Ruitenbeek helpless with a powerful shot from 22 yards.

That polished off an assured performance by the Ibrox side who looked a far more confident team than in recent weeks.

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Dunfermline: Ruitenbeek, Skinner, Skerla, Scott Thomson, Bullen, Nicholson, Nicholls, Mason, McGroarty, Crawford, de Gier.

Subs: Scott Y Thomson, Dair, Hampshire, Potter, Nish.

Rangers: Klos, Vidmar, Wilson, Ross, Numan, Ricksen, Konterman, Hughes, Latapy, Mols, Flo.

Subs: Smith, de Boer, Kanchelskis, Penttila, Dodds.

Referee: D McDonald (Scotland)