Rangers 4-1 Livingston: Rangers move six points clear at the top

A Martyn Waghorn inspired Rangers made short work of struggling Livingston at a snowy Ibrox, easing to a 4-1 win to open up daylight at the top of the Championship.

Since the 2-1 defeat at Falkirk before Christmas, the Light Blues have scored 19 goals in four games and are now six points clear of the Bairns and Hibernian, who meet on Sunday.   

In a hopelessly lopsided opening period, Waghorn bagged a double and Kenny Miller and Danny Wilson also scored as the visitors slid to a fourth straight defeat.

Waghorn set the tone in the eighth minute when he saw his shot blocked by the foot of goalkeeper Marc McCallum, and Wilson was on hand to nod into the unguarded net.

Miller and Lee Wallace combined well before the former was brought down in the box by Declan Gallagher and Waghorn calmly slotted his 26th goal of the season from the penalty spot in the 21st minute.

There was no respite for the Livi rearguard, Billy McKay and Wallace seeing shots deflected behind, while Waghorn was inches away from a second goal with a flicked header from James Tavernier's cross.

Miller got in on the act in the 35th minute with a sweet finish after he had been teed up by Wallace. The irrepressible Waghorn then hit the goalframe moments later but he was not to be denied for long as he volleyed home his second of the afternoon four minutes before the break, reacting quickest when Wallace's shot had been blocked.

Daniel Mullan had the visitors' first shot on target in the 48th minute when he forced Wes Foderingham into a fine save and Liam Buchanan went one better with a left-foot drive to make it 4-1 after 55 minutes.

Waghorn departed the fray to a grand ovation, being replaced by Nicky Clark as Rangers eased down in the home stretch, their work effectively having being done in the first 45 minutes.

There was late drama when Clark's header found the back of the net, but the referee had already blown for a penalty; Andy Halliday assumed responsibility in the absence of Waghorn, only for McCallum to deny him with a fine one-handed stop.

In the only other Championship game to survive the inclement weather, rock-bottom Alloa went 1-0 up on Morton through Michael Duffy's first goal of the season.

But the prospect of a second consecutive win was denied them as referee Alan Muir abandoned proceedings with 20 minutes remaining because of a frozen pitch.