Killie no match for Rangers

Caniggia gave the Kilmarnock defence a tough time

Rangers 3-1 Kilmarnock

Rangers never looked in real danger in a match they controlled from beginning to end.

With three strikers on from the start in the shape of Shota Arveladze, Tore Andre Flo and Claudio Caniggia, Rangers were clearly looking for goals.

They came courtesy of that trio and all three could have added further to the home side's tally.

Antonio Calderon scored Killie's consolation goal and a fine one it was - a 25-yard curling free kick Stefan Klos could do nothing about.

Arveladze took only nine minutes to open his league account.

Michael Ball had an assured game

After a quiet opening to the match, Rangers put together an incisive passing move with Barry Ferguson releasing Fernando Ricksen on the right.

The ball was moved down the line to Claudio Caniggia and his cross was met first time at the backpost by the right foot of the Georgian striker and directed past the diving Marshall.

Rangers had the ascendancy and Flo should have done better with a header which missed the target.

Slack play by Arthur Numan allowed Paul di Giacomo a run on goal but his shot was a poor one.

Rangers' attacking efforts were often halted by a well-disciplined Kilmarnock offside trap but Arveladze threatened again, firstly with a curling effort which Marshall held and then with a downward header which lacked power.

Game over

Tore Andre Flo had two chances in the space of a minute on the half-hour mark.

He did well to get a shot in on goal under pressure from two defenders, but it was straight at Marshall.

Then Numan played him in but his left foot shot was well wide.

Kilmarnock found themselves stretched when Rangers' passing found its target and the hard-working Caniggia almost finished a move he had started, but he could not direct his header on target.

But a minute later, with only five minutes to go to half-time, Caniggia doubled Rangers' lead.

Arveladze played him through and he ran in on goal unchallenged before chipping the outrushing Marshall.

Caniggia celebrates his goal

Rangers started the second half in much the same manner as they finished the first and they put the game beyond Kilmarnock in 52 minutes.

Arveladze found Flo on the edge of the box and the Norwegian made space before firing a low shot past Marshall.

Marshall kept the scoreline down minutes later with a fine save from an Arthur Numan volley.

But Killie did not give up and had reasonable claims for a penalty turned down when Antonio Calderon went down under Reyna's challenge.

But Calderon did reduce the deficit on 66 minutes when he hit a beautiful free kick in off Stefan Klos' left-hand post from 25 yards.

The game rather petered out in the latter stages with Killie unable to further reduce Rangers' lead.

Substitute Ronald de Boer gave Arveladze a chance to double his tally but the striker fired wide from close range.

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Rangers: Klos, Moore, Konterman, Ball, Ricksen, Reyna, Ferguson, Numan, Caniggia, Flo, Arveladze.

Subs: Christiansen, McCann, de Boer, Malcolm, Billy Gibson.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, Canero, Dindeleux, Innes, Baker, Mitchell, Sanjuan, Mahood, McLaren, Di Giacomo, Dargo.

Subs: Stewart, Hessey, Boyd, Calderon, McCutcheon.

Referee: D McDonald