Rangers vs Hibernian. Scottish Championship.
Ibrox StadiumAttendance49,220.
Sunday 23 August 2015 17:44, UK
James Tavernier's stunning second-half free-kick sealed a crucial 1-0 win for Rangers at home to their Scottish Championship title rivals Hibernian on Sunday.
The right-back, who had a superb game, curled home the set-piece via the underside of the crossbar to hand the hosts a third successive league victory of the new season.
Rangers dominated in front of almost 50,000 at Ibrox and also had chances through Jason Holt just after half-time and Martyn Waghorn just before the break.
But summer-signing Tavernier's goal - his fourth of the season - means Mark Warburton becomes the first Rangers manager since Bill Struth in 1920 to win his first six consecutive matches at the helm.
A frank exchange of views between the Rangers boss and Hibs manager Alan Stubbs, about Warburton's job at Ibrox, preceded this game - but one side finished it six points higher than the other and top of the Championship table.
Tavernier began the game brightly and immediately troubled his opposite number in green, but it was Hibs who had the first real chance when the ball dropped to Jason Cummings in the box, but he could not get a clear shot at goal.
The visitors also went close on 36 minutes when Martin Boyle skewed an effort wide from the right-hand side.
Rangers best chance of the opening half fell to Waghorn from an acute angle to the left of the penalty area, and his low effort was cleared off the line by David Gray.
Hibs keeper Mark Oxley was then required to make an excellent double save from Holt when the attacker broke into the box and had two attempts to find the opener.
But Oxley could do nothing at full stretch to stop Tavernier's wicked looping free-kick that found the net on 65 minutes.
