Cyriel Dessers smashes double as Rangers blow Hearts away and surge five points clear - 3 talking points

Rampant Rangers blew away Hearts at Ibrox to stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership to five points and throw the title race gauntlet down to Celtic.

Philippe Clement’s side flew out the traps and Mohamed Diomande’s goal after just a minute paved the way for a statement win that torpedoed the Jambos’ 12-game unbeaten run and piled the pressure onto the Hoops who travel to face Motherwell tomorrow. Oscar Cortes’ first goal for the club, a Cyriel Dessers double and substitute Fabio Silva’s strike completed as comfortable an afternoon as the light blues could have wished for against their high-flying visitors.

It took less than 90 seconds for Diomande to strike the opener. Cortes picked the ball up on the left and cut inside before feeding the Ivorian 25 yards out. Diomande shifted the ball from his right foot to his left to bamboozle Beni Baningime before unleashing a low effort into Zander Clark’s bottom corner before the keeper could properly set himself.

Predictably the roof came off Ibrox to the sound of ‘we shall not be moved’ as tension evaporated around the home support. Rangers looked in the mood and Clark saved from Dessers then turned a thunderous James Tavernier drive round the post.

But after 36 minutes it was 2-0. Kye Rowles’ sloppy pass was picked up by Dujon Sterling who fed Tom Lawrence and the midfielder’s square pass from right to left was perfect for Cortes to bend a first time right foot effort low into the far corner.

Dessers killed the game as a contest after 44 minutes. Again it was all too easy from a Hearts perspective as John Souttar’s long diagonal into the box was met by the Nigerian whose header left Clark helpless,

Steven Naismith changed Hearts’ shape at half time as Alan Forrest was