Rangers overpower Partick as Hibs promoted

GLASGOW, April 15, (AFP): Rangers saw off Partick Thistle 2-0 on Saturday to keep alive their slim hopes of finishing runners-up to already-crowned Scottish Premiership champions and arch Glasgow rivals Celtic.

A scrappy first half at Rangers’ Ibrox ground ended with the home side on top thanks to a header from stand-in captain Kenny Miller.

Spanish midfielder Jon Toral scored his first league goal since joining on loan from Arsenal in January to double Rangers’ advantage early in the second half.

Victory saw the Gers remain nine points behind second-place Aberdeen after the Dons defeated St Johnstone 2-1 at McDiarmid Park, with the Ibrox encounter marking the end of Thistle’s eight-game unbeaten run.

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha was happy with aspects of his side’s display.

“It is the first time we’ve had two victories in a row and the third time we’ve not conceded a goal,” said Caixinha, who was appointed last month.

“But I think we have a lot in front of us to keep working as I didn’t like the way we began the game,” the Portuguese boss added.

Meanwhile Thistle manager Alan Archibald was frustrated with his side’s performance.

“I’m not taking anything away from Rangers, but we were poor today,” he said. “We made it really easy for them and our use of the ball was really poor.”

The first 25 minutes at Ibrox were punctuated by fouls and misplaced passes as both sides struggled to find any sort of rhythm in this Glasgow derby.

With Rangers’ forward line so ineffectual, it was Myles Beerman who became his side’s most potent force.

The teenage Maltese defender ran at the retreating Thistle rearguard and with some time and space he sent a deflected shot whizzing past Tomas Cerny’s post.