Onegiant leapfor Rangers

From Back Page handed the Ibrox men a 2-0 play-off semi-final first-leg win over Hibs.

With chairman-in-waiting Dave King watching from the directors’ box, Stuart McCall’s side thrilled a bouncing Ibrox.

Twenty four hours after King had been passed fit and proper by the SFA, Gers were desperate to keep the feel-good factor rolling by claiming a lead to take back to Easter Road on Saturday.

Clark’s tidy finish a minute before the interval after some great play from Haris Vuckic was perfectly timed after Hibs dominated the first half.

And Miller’s second after 66 minutes means the Glasgow giants are now the firm favourites to progress to a final showdown with Motherwell.

Delighted boss McCall said: “It was gritty and to a man they stuck in. They have turned themselves into a real unit.

“I’m delighted with a 2-0 win – it’s only half time but IBROX fans penned the pre-match team talk then roared their delight as the players delivered on their demands to the very last letter.

Rangers took a significant stride towards the Premiership play-off final last night as their support streamed joyfully on to Edmiston Drive, their heads in the clouds after a victory against a team that had prepared in the sun.

Chairman-in-waiting Dave King looked on from the directors’ box and is expected to outline more details of his business plan for future prosperity today.

He might have gone to bed last night believing more than at any other time this season that the squad, belittled as bottle merchants and greedy chancers, can take this club back to the top flight sooner than he even expected.

Earlier this year, King reckoned the chances of Rangers playing Premiership football next season were less than 50 per cent but he’ll be revising that figure northwards after a goal in each half from Nicky Clark and Kenny Miller.

Rangers had to play second fiddle for long stages in the first half to a vibrant, pacy, aggressive Hibs side but the opener from Clark a minute from half-time sent confidence soaring through the ranks – on the pitch and off.

Miller slid in a second after 63 minutes and the roof threatened to come off the old ground for the first time in recent seasons as Hibs faced up to the prospect of a bleak second leg at Easter Road on Saturday.

They threw everything but The Proclaimers and Irvine Welsh at the Rangers defence late on but Marius Zaliukas and Co held firm to record only their third clean sheet since Stuart McCall became boss – and easily their most crucial.

Ibrox erupted at the final whistle, particularly over in the corner of the