The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Jack of all trades for Gers as Ross County swept aside
Former Dons midfielder is star of the show as Ibrox men dominate in Dingwall
Rangers ripped Ross County apart in this lopsided Premiership match at the Global Energy Stadium.
Colombia striker Alfredo Morelos got the visitors up and running in the 20th minute when he knocked in a pass from Sheyi Ojo for his 17th goal of the season.
Returning midfielder Ryan Jack scored a brace of cracking strikes to have the Light Blues on easy street at the interval.
Morelos grabbed his second with a drive in the 72nd minute to make it 4-0 and narrow the goal difference gap to Celtic to just one.
Important games keep coming for the Ibrox men and they will go into their Betfred Cup semi-final against Hearts at Hampden Park on Sunday with further confidence following this test.
After a hard-fought win over Motherwell at the weekend Gerrard made five changes, with Wes Foderingham replacing injured Allan Mcgregor in goal while Glen Kamara, Jack, Ojo and Morelos all came back in.
Brian Graham returned for County to partner Ross Stewart in attack, Joe Chalmers was reinstated with Tom Grivosti was back in defence but the Govan side dominated throughout.
In the fourth minute Ojo clipped the post with a right-footed shot after being set up by Joe Aribo on a swift counterattack.
Then 10 minutes later, midfielder Scott Arfield played a one-two with Morelos and fired in a right-footed drive which was pushed around the post by Staggies keeper Ross Laidlaw for a corner which came to nothing.
The opening goal came at the end of a slick move involving Aribo and Ojo, who slid the ball across goal for Morelos to steer in at the far post.
The Ibrox side grew in confidence and their second goal came in the 29th minute when Jack pounced on defender Liam Fontaine’s clearance at the edge of the box and curled the ball past Laidlaw and into the corner.
County had recovered from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Hibernian at Easter Road at the weekend but this was a different mountain to climb for the Highlanders.
Jack’s second goal was a similarly well-placed drive after good work by Aribo and Arfield.
Aribo rattled the post from eight yards as Rangers started the second half in the same dominant vein.
Jack then fired a left-footed effort from 20 yards just wide.
In a rare Ross County attack in the 68th minute, Ross Draper’s deflected drive from distance took a deflection and wrong-footed Foderingham but rebounded off the post.
Rangers ran up the park moments later and Morelos hammered in a fourth past Laidlaw from 10 yards before immediately making way for Jermaine Defoe, with the visitors keeping a tight grip on the game with impressive energy until the end.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Fraser, Grivosti (Watson 41), Fontaine, Sean Kelly, Foster, Spence, Draper, Chalmers (Mckay 60), Graham (Gardyne 77), Stewart. Subs not used: Henderson, Mullin, Spittal, Dixon-hodge.
Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Helander, Goldson, Barisic (Halliday 55), Aribo, Jack (Murphy 63), Kamara, Ojo, Morelos (Defoe 72), Arfield. Subs not used: Davis, Firth, Katic, Stewart.
Referee: Bobby Madden.