Alfredo Morelos at double as Rangers respond to Celtic loss by hammering Hearts

Returning Alfredo Morelos helped put smiles back on the faces of Rangers fans with a double in Sunday’s 5-0 hammering of Hearts at Ibrox.

The champions lost top spot in the cinch Premiership when they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Celtic at Parkhead on Wednesday night and there was pressure to keep right behind the Hoops, who won at Motherwell earlier in the day.

Morelos, back after missing his club’s previous four matches while on international duty with Colombia, knocked in the opener on 11 minutes and added a second with a drive in the 63rd minute before setting up substitute Glen Kamara for a third.

Scott Arfield and substitute Fashion Sakala added further goals to keep Rangers one point behind their Old Firm rivals.

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s side came in for heavy criticism following their midweek capitulation to Celtic and the Dutchman made four changes with Morelos, defender Leon Balogun and midfielder John Lundstram coming in along with playmaker Ryan Jack, who made his first start since February 2021.

Hearts defender John Souttar, who has signed a pre-contract with Rangers which will see him switch to Ibrox in the summer, was not even named among the substitutes as Aaron McEneff and Alex Cochrane replaced Ellis Simms and Andy Halliday.

McEneff made an early impact, blocking Joe Aribo’s first-minute header from a James Tavernier corner and, after Balogun had headed the second corner over the bar, he robbed Gers defender Calvin Bassey then drove just wide of the target at the other end.

Ryan Kent curled a shot just past Craig Gordon’s left-hand post before the former Celtic goalkeeper saved a drive from Morelos.

However, the Colombian was not to be denied a second time as he knocked in a cut-back from Kent,