Ross County 0-4 Rangers

Steven Gerrard’s league-leading Rangers side ran out 4-0 victors at the Global Energy Stadium.

Kemar Roofe opened the scoring for the visitors after Harry Paton nearly gave County the lead inside the first half hour.

Second-half goals from James Tavernier, Jermaine Defoe and an own goal from Callum Morris completed the scoring as Rangers extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 14 points.

In the 24^th minute, it was the County who offered the first opportunity in a previously tense & tight affair. Vigurs’ excellent cross-field ball with his left foot found Harry Paton in an encouraging area on the right-hand side of the box. The midfielder drifted inside of Balogun and stung a left-footed effort at McGregor. The veteran goalkeeper, as he so often does, produced an expert save to bat the ball away from danger as his side avoided an early scare.

Shortly after, the visitors broke the deadlock as Steven Davis’ incisive through ball found James Tavernier marauding down the right wing. The Rangers skipper whizzed a trademark low cross across the face of the box, meeting the sliding effort of Kemar Roofe, who diverted the ball into the net from 6 yards out.

Just a minute later, Rangers nearly doubled their advantage as Morelos spun inside of Morris and slid a reverse pass into the direction of Kent. His pass was intercepted by Donaldson, but the ball broke to the goal scorer Roofe as the striker’s snapshot effort braised the top of Ross Laidlaw’s goal.

Rangers entered the break with a single-goal lead. However, as Harry Paton teased in the 24^th minute, the home side were showing signs of the attacking quality required to carve open the opposing rear guard.

Just 4 minutes into the second half, Ryan Kent’s combination pace and trickery allowed him to beat Stewart and Randall as the winger advanced down the left side. He hung up a left footed cross to the back post and picked out Roofe who had his headed effort denied by Laidlaw in goal. Alfredo Morelos followed up, but the Colombian’s attempt was blocked and subsequently cleared by Morris.

In the 55^th minute, the league leaders grabbed the crucial second goal of the match through their captain, James Tavernier. A Morelos shot was deflected into the path of Ryan Kent as he flashed a low-left footed cross across the box. Kent’s cross was met by Roofe, who looked to repeat his opener with a sliding effort. His attempt was cut out by Josh Reid, but the defender’s intervention ricocheted off Tavernier and trickled into the goal for his 16^th of the season.

County almost clawed one back as Reid’s deep cross from the left evaded 3 Rangers defenders and landed at the feet of Connor Randall at the back post. Looking destined to score, Randall unfortunately leant over Reid’s bouncing cross and blazed his attempt from inside the six-yard box well over the roof of the Jail End stand.

With 18 minutes to go, Tavernier was involved again as his side added a third. Connor Goldson’s measured pass out from defence cut the County defence open and found Tavernier rampaging down the right-hand side again. The Rangers Captain’s whisked cross was turned in by Callum Morris as his skewed interception put the ball into his own goal.

Veteran striker Jermaine Defoe sealed the victory for the Ibrox side in the final minute of regulation time. Cedric Itten picked the pocket of Coll Donaldson as the defender was backed into County’s right corner. The Swiss international then squared the ball to Defoe who perfectly pirouetted around Iacovitti inside the box and fired his shot through the legs of Ross Laidlaw.

A difficult result to take for Stuart Kettlewell’s side, who did create opportunities, as County now look to bounce back against Aberdeen next weekend.