Match ends, Rangers 4, Falkirk 0.
Rangers 4-0 Falkirk
- From the section Scottish Championship
Rangers comfortably beat Falkirk to remain four points behind Scottish Championship leaders Hearts.
Nicky Law's drive separated the two sides at the interval, the midfielder scoring midway through the first half.
Lewis Macleod, fresh from being called up to the Scotland squad, headed the home side's second.
Kenny Miller stretched out a foot to net Rangers' third and his replacement, Nicky Clark, struck to complete the scoring.
Ally McCoist's side struggled to carve open Falkirk in the first quarter.
The visitors were attacking when they got the chance, but David Smith finished poorly after good work from Luke Leahy.
But Peter Houston's men crumbled in the 25th minute after the home side's first spell of sustained pressure.
They initially defended well, Joe Shaughnessy putting in a crucial challenge on Lee Wallace after Macleod had put Falkirk on the back foot with an exquisite long pass.
Macleod then split the defence with a pass to Miller, but again Jamie MacDonald narrowed the angle and blocked.
The Bairns struggled to deal with the resulting corner, with Darren McGregor and Miller having efforts half-cleared before David Templeton put the ball back into the goalmouth.
Peter Grant blocked it, but David Smith was caught waiting for the ball to come to him and Law nipped in and fired it into the bottom corner from six yards.
Falkirk tried to hit back before the break, but Shaughnessy skewed a shot wide after running from his own half and Will Vaulks had a 20-yard strike deflected just wide after good skill.
Shaughnessy also beat Rangers goalkeeper Steve Simonsen to a corner but could not keep his header down.
However, they were leaving gaps at the back and Templeton had several chances, hitting one wide and having two other efforts deflected out of harm's way.
Rangers punished them when Blair Alston's flick went straight to a light blue shirt following a Falkirk throw-in deep inside the home side's half.
Miller broke and fed Jon Daly, on moments earlier for Kris Boyd, and the Irishman crossed for Macleod to arrive on the six-yard line and bullet a header into the net.
Macleod soon moved from left midfield to the right when Steven Smith replaced Templeton, but he was just as effective, arrowing a low cross from 18 yards across the goalmouth for Miller to slide in and steer home in the 75th minute.
Rangers went further ahead in the 82nd minute when Wallace burst to the bye-line yards from goal and forced the ball back for Clark to guide into the empty net with MacDonald stranded.
Line-ups
Rangers
- 31Simonsen
- 23FosterBooked at 89mins
- 24McGregor
- 6McCulloch
- 5Wallace
- 11TempletonSubstituted forSmithat 72'minutes
- 8BlackBooked at 78mins
- 7Law
- 10Macleod
- 18MillerSubstituted forClarkat 77'minutes
- 15BoydSubstituted forDalyat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Smith
- 3Mohsni
- 9Daly
- 14Clark
- 16Faure
- 22Shiels
- 25Robinson
Falkirk
- 1MacDonald
- 3ShaughnessyBooked at 59mins
- 5McCracken
- 6VaulksBooked at 30mins
- 14Grant
- 7TaiwoBooked at 36mins
- 9Smith
- 19Leahy
- 8AlstonSubstituted forBia Biat 71'minutes
- 10SibbaldSubstituted forCooperat 58'minutes
- 33Loy
Substitutes
- 12Bowman
- 16Grant
- 17Maybury
- 20Cooper
- 23Shepherd
- 24McGeever
- 28Bia Bi
- Referee:
- John McKendrick
- Attendance:
- 33,359
Match Stats
Home TeamRangersAway TeamFalkirk
- Possession
- Home52%
- Away48%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away4
- Corners
- Home5
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home19
- Away15
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Rangers 4, Falkirk 0.
Attempt saved. Rory Loy (Falkirk) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Corner, Falkirk. Conceded by Lee McCulloch.
Foul by Ian Black (Rangers).
Botti Bia Bi (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Richard Foster (Rangers) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Richard Foster (Rangers).
Will Vaulks (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jon Daly (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by David McCracken.
Foul by Darren McGregor (Rangers).
Botti Bia Bi (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Ian Black (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Rory Loy (Falkirk).
Foul by Jon Daly (Rangers).
(Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Steven Smith (Rangers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Goal!
Goal! Rangers 4, Falkirk 0. Nicky Clark (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lee Wallace.
Attempt missed. Will Vaulks (Falkirk) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt saved. David Smith (Falkirk) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the bottom right corner.
Booking
Ian Black (Rangers) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Ian Black (Rangers).
Will Vaulks (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Nicky Clark replaces Kenny Miller.
Goal!
Goal! Rangers 3, Falkirk 0. Kenny Miller (Rangers) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lewis Macleod.
Steven Smith (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Will Vaulks (Falkirk).
Attempt missed. Will Vaulks (Falkirk) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Steven Smith replaces David Templeton.
Corner, Falkirk. Conceded by Lee Wallace.
Substitution
Substitution, Falkirk. Botti Bia Bi replaces Blair Alston.
Foul by David Templeton (Rangers).
Blair Alston (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Goal!
Goal! Rangers 2, Falkirk 0. Lewis Macleod (Rangers) header from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jon Daly.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Jon Daly replaces Kris Boyd.
Attempt missed. David Templeton (Rangers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Kris Boyd (Rangers).
Peter Grant (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ian Black (Rangers).