SPL round-up:Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic were both on target as Rangers claimed a 2-0 victory over Hearts to strengthen their grasp on top spot in the Scottish Premier League.
Naismith grabbed his ninth goal of the season, before Jelavic — rated doubtful ahead of the game — doubled the advantage just a few minutes after coming off the bench. The win allowed Rangers to stretch their lead over second-placed Motherwell to nine points.
Jelavic had been struggling with a bug over the weekend and was named among the substitutes for Rangers, with Kyle Lafferty handed the role of lone forward. Hearts named an unchanged side for the fourth consecutive game for the visit of the Scottish champions.
Rangers carved out the best of the chances during a frantic opening spell and Lee McCulloch was not too far away with a shot from distance that flashed just past the post.
Maurice Edu then saw his effort deflected wide for a corner and the American connected well with a Steven Davis ball into the box only to hook over on this occasion.
Steven Whittaker had a large part to play in the opening goal when he embarked on a surging run before setting up Naismith to rifle into the back of the net after 21 minutes.
There was a nervous moment for Rangers when a Carlos Bocanegra clearance, under pressure from Ryan Stevenson, trickled just past the post and narrowly avoided being an own-goal. Goalkeeper Allan McGregor then produced a superb save to deny Rudi Skacel just before the break.
Rangers made a double change after 71 minutes when Gregg Wylde and Jelavic were thrown into the action for Sasa Papac and Lafferty. And Jelavic added his name to the scoresheet just three minutes later when he met a Bocanegra ball and sidefooted past Kello from six yards.
Hearts should have pulled a goal back almost immediately but McGregor did well to block two point-blank strikes from Stevenson.
Celtic’s stand-in skipper Charlie Mulgrew, meanwhile, scored a crucial second-half goal as the Glasgow side beat Aberdeen 2-1 at Parkhead to keep Neil Lennon’s men 10 points behind Rangers.
Hoops midfielder Ki Sung-yueng gave the home side the lead in the 17th minute when he finished off a fine move but the home side failed to build on that and Dons defender Ryan Jack levelled on the hour mark to set the nerves jangling among the home support.
However, in the 72nd minute, following a Ki free-kick, former Aberdeen defender Mulgrew drove high into the net from close range before Jack — booked for over-celebrating his equaliser by running to the travelling support — was sent off after picking up the second card for a foul on Gary Hooper.
Mulgrew, though, emerged again as the Hoops hero after grabbing an equaliser in the 3-3 draw at Kilmarnock last week. Celtic have a game in hand over Rangers but Lennon will not want many more nervy afternoons like this.
