Rangers 3-0 Dundee

Novo (left) congratulates Prso

Two goals in the first five minutes sent Rangers on their way to a return to the top of the SPL.

Nacho Novo opened the scoring for Rangers from the spot after he was brought downby former teammate Jonay Hernandez after only 90 seconds.

Rangers doubled their lead two minutes later when a Novo cross found Prso, who calmly controlled the ball before firing past Souter.

Bob Malcolm made it three after the interval, when he netted from a corner.

With SPL leaders Celtic playing on Sunday, a win for Alex McLeish's side would allow them to leapfrog their bitter rivals.

There was a chance for Dado Prso within 30 seconds when Marvin Andrews played a long ball over the top which the Croatian met on the volley on the turn as it came down in the box.

Prso blasted that over the bar but within seconds Rangers had been awarded a penalty when Jonay Hernandez brought down ex-Dundee colleague Nacho Novo after the little striker had turned him to go clear.

Novo converted the third-minute spot-kick himself to bring his goal tally to 15 since leaving Dundee in the summer.

He was involved in the next goal by latching on to Fernando Ricksen's long ball and firing in a cross, which Prso took down at the back post and slotted past Derek Soutar.

Ricksen (right) battles with Dundee's Caballero

The Rangers fans must have been expecting a goal-fest. But it soon became apparent the home side's position was not as secure as the explosive start had suggested.

Jean-Alain Boumsong was rested, while Dragan Mladenovic was given a rare start in midfield.

Gregory Vignal and Shota Arveladze returned after injury.

All that added up to an opportunity for Dundee to get a grip on the game, and when the half-time whistle went Duffy's side might easily have been ahead.

The visitors passed up two good chances in a 60-second spell midway through the first half, with Steve Lovell and Brent Sancho the guilty men.

Lovell fired straight at Stefan Klos, while Sancho made the same error with a header from a delivery on the left from only five yards out.

Young Dundee centre-back Callum McDonald made a fine block to deny Prso shortly after the restart.

However, the reprieve was short-lived as Malcolm, playing centre-back rather than his familiar midfield role, netted a rare goal in the 50th minute.

His first attempt was blocked by a defender but second time round he lashed the ball past Soutar with an unstoppable rising drive.

Larsen almost pulled a goal back but saw his header cleared off the line by Hamed Namouchi, who just seconds earlier had seen McNally do exactly that to stop him deflecting home a Ricksen corner with his head.

There was still time for Prso to have a goal chalked off for offside, Rae and Mladenovic to blast good chances over and Dundee to give the final few minutes to Brazilian Alex Credeira in place of Lovell.

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Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Khizanishvili, Andrews, Vignal (Steven Smith 79), Namouchi, Malcolm, Mladenovic, Arveladze (Alex Rae 64), Prso, Novo. Subs Not Used: Robinson, Ball, Hutton, McLean, Watson.

Goals: Novo 3 pen, Prso 4, Malcolm 50.

Dundee: Soutar, McNally, Sancho, McDonald, Hernandez Santos, Brady, Smith, Barrett, Robb, Lovell (Cerdeira 77), Caballero (Larsen 68). Subs Not Used: Murray, Mann, Sutton, Jablonski.

Att: 48,114

Ref: M McCurry.