Match ends, Rangers 2, Raith Rovers 0.
RangersRangers2Raith RoversRaith Rovers0
Rangers continued their march towards the Scottish Championship title and the top flight with victory over promotion hopefuls Raith Rovers.
With Hibernian losing away to Queen of the South, Rangers stretch their lead to 14 points.
Harry Forrester put the Glasgow side ahead before the break with a curling drive from outside the penalty box.
Billy King set up captain Lee Wallace to pass the ball into the net for the second goal after the break.
But it was Forrester - also the scorer of a last-gasp weekend winner against St Mirren - who inspired the Ibrox outfit with his brightest display in a blue jersey since sealing his January move from Doncaster Rovers.
Given the task of setting the tempo for Mark Warburton's team, the Englishman pulled the strings in midfield before giving the hosts a first-half lead.
With Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter-final with top-flight Dundee on the horizon, manager Mark Warburton rested veteran striker Kenny Miller and midfielders Nicky Law and Barrie McKay.
That gave Forrester his chance to start alongside Billy King and Nicky Clark, while Rovers badly missed teenage Rangers striker Ryan Hardie under the terms of his loan agreement.
Jason Holt came close inside the opening 90 seconds, while Forrester fizzed wide from 20 yards out as Rangers started brightly before they made the breakthrough after 27 minutes.
Forrester's clever footwork sucked in Rovers midfielder Ryan McCord and he span clear before whipping an unstoppable effort over the head of goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert.
King's jinking run from the left took him past three Rovers players and the on-loan Hearts attacker looked up just in time to tee up Wallace arriving on the edge of the area to drill home the second after the break.
Forrester's contribution to proceedings had been outstanding with his scheming from behind striker Clark central to Rangers' best moments.
He was replaced with Dean Shiels on the hour mark, though, with Warburton keen to wrap the playmaker in cotton wool ahead of the weekend Scottish Cup tie.
Holt almost netted a spectacular scissors kick but was denied by Cuthbert, who also pushed away a powerful King strike.
Line-ups
Rangers
Formation 4-3-3
- 25Foderingham
- 2Tavernier
- 4Kiernan
- 27Wilson
- 5Wallace
- 23HoltSubstituted forBurtat 82'minutes
- 16HallidaySubstituted forBallat 82'minutes
- 15ForresterSubstituted forShielsat 61'minutes
- 29O'Halloran
- 17King
- 14Clark
Substitutes
- 1Bell
- 6Ball
- 7Law
- 9Miller
- 19McKay
- 22Shiels
- 62Burt
Raith Rovers
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Cuthbert
- 2ThomsonBooked at 37mins
- 55BarrBooked at 81mins
- 5Toshney
- 23McKeownBooked at 73mins
- 7AndersonSubstituted forConnollyat 70'minutes
- 28Craigen
- 14Davidson
- 12MatthewsBooked at 45minsSubstituted forThomasat 61'minutes
- 8McCordSubstituted forRobertsonat 55'minutes
- 11Panayiotou
Substitutes
- 4Callachan
- 15Thomas
- 18Connolly
- 25Ford
- 26Court
- 30Robertson
- 31Law
- Referee:
- Craig Charleston
- Attendance:
- 40,662
Match Stats
Home TeamRangersAway TeamRaith Rovers
- Possession
- Home70%
- Away30%
- Shots
- Home22
- Away4
- Shots on Target
- Home11
- Away2
- Corners
- Home8
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home4
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Rangers 2, Raith Rovers 0.
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Billy King (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Scott Robertson (Raith Rovers).
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Liam Burt (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Craig Barr (Raith Rovers).
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Attempt missed. Aidan Connolly (Raith Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
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Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Dean Shiels.
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Foul by Michael O'Halloran (Rangers).
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Harry Panayiotou (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Liam Burt (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Joel Thomas (Raith Rovers).
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Attempt missed. Billy King (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
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Attempt missed. Liam Burt (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
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Dean Shiels (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Scott Robertson (Raith Rovers).
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Attempt missed. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Liam Burt replaces Jason Holt.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Dominic Ball replaces Andy Halliday.
Booking
Craig Barr (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
