Four-goal Rangers back to winning ways in Fife
Leaders move 14 points clear of Dunfermline
Dunfermline With a crackle in the air created by the feisty 10,089-strong crowd, Dunfermline went in search of an early opening and thought they had one just four minutes in as Josh Falkingham sent Jordan Moore clear of the Rangers defence.
Bilel Mohsni and Sebastien Faure, however, recovered in time to crowd out the 19-yearold. At the other end, Steven Smith poked just wide of Ryan Scully’s left-hand post after Daly sent him into the Dunfermline box.
The opening stages of what would have been a top-flight fixture just a couple of seasons ago were marked by a series of meaty challenges, but referee Craig Charleston opted to keep things sensible by allowing play to flow as much as possible.
Dunfermline went close again on the quarter-hour mark as Stephen Husband met Alex Whittle’s near-post corner but saw his header saved by Cammy Bell.
Under pressure, the visitors survived another scare as Bell had to juggle Ryan Wallace’s shot from the left before finally grasping it safely.
Having themselves been under the cosh, Rangers were suddenly ahead as Aird drove into open space before finishing with a well-placed left-footed strike after Law did well to draw in three opponents before teeing up his team-mate.
Rangers were denied a second after 43 minutes as Scully blocked Daly’s shot from a Lee Wallace cut-back, while 90 seconds later home defender Lewis Martin had to hack clear from his own goal-line after Scully spilled Clark’s effort at the feet of Aird.
But McCoist’s