Rangers moved four points clear at the top of the table with an impressive win over Dundee United in Walter Smith's last Ibrox game as manager.

Nikica Jelavic headed home from 15 yards after a Steven Whittaker cross on 21 minutes in a fine Rangers start.

Kyle Lafferty, who had already struck a post, fired home after being set up by Steven Naismith four minutes later.

Stuart Armstrong sent a drive against a post late on for a United side who cannot now catch third-top Hearts.

Rangers survived some late nervousness to avoid a repeat of their recent 3-2 defeat at home to the Tannadice side.

And the reigning champions' win means Celtic must now avoid defeat by Hearts on Wednesday if they are to ensure the Scottish Premier League title race goes to the final round of matches on Sunday.

Rangers were unchanged as they looked to continue the form shown in the clinical 4-0 weekend win over Hearts as Smith resisted the temptation to introduce fit-again Scotland midfielder Lee McCulloch.

Jon Daly was dropped to the United bench despite scoring a hat-trick against Motherwell at the weekend, with midfielder David Robertson coming into a more defensive line-up in place of the striker.

If United boss Peter Houston had predicted that his side would have to endure early pressure, he was proved right as Rangers started with great speed and purpose.

United's Keith Watson was the first to threaten with a long-range drive that powered a couple of feet over, but the home side were soon on the offensive.

Naismith looked set to finish off a superb move in which he played successive one-two's before advancing into the penalty box, but team-mate Lafferty took the ball off the Scotland forward's toes and poked a weak shot wide.

Rangers squandered another good chance when Maurice Edu found the unmarked Jelavic with a fine cross, but the striker headed well wide from 14 yards.

United were having to withstand wave after wave of Rangers attacks and were fortunate to remain on level terms when Lafferty curled an excellent drive off the inside of the far post from the edge of the penalty box.

Jelavic failed to capitalise after making space for himself to collect a clever Steven Davis pass, but the striker soon followed his dipping drive over the bar with the opening goal.

United defender Garry Kenneth was left flat-footed as Jelavic rose to loop a header into the far corner for his eighth goal in 11 games.

Rangers were relentless in the torment being inflicted on the United defence and, when Naismith rolled the ball into Lafferty's path after another incisive break, the Northern Ireland forward's low drive from the edge of the box flew low into the far corner.

United worked themselves into the game, but a deep Watson cross that Allan McGregor palmed away under pressure at the back post was as close as they came to threatening the Rangers goalkeeper.

Daly came on for fellow forward Johnny Russell at half-time, but it was Rangers who continued to be the more dangerous and Lafferty just failed to find a scoring touch on a Jelavic cross that flashed across the face of the United goal.

However, United were now enjoying more possession against a Rangers side who appeared to have already started to think about their final game of the season against Kilmarnock.

Smith's decision to replace young winger Gregg Wylde with experienced holding midfielder McCulloch suggested that the Rangers manager was also out to protect the lead.

Rangers continued to live dangerously and, after McGregor missed his attempt to gather a cross to the back post and Davis was forced to concede a corner, Scott Robertson's head flick forced the goalkeeper into a save.

A powerful Jelavic free-kick curled just over the United crossbar, but it was the visitors who were the more dangerous in the closing stages.

McGregor had to beat away a dipping Daly drive as the striker looked to capitalise on a Madjid Bougherra slip then fellow substitute Armstrong's shot struck the upright.

However, Rangers took the three points to signal tributes from the Ibrox stands for the veteran Smith, who will hand over the manager's chair to assistant Ally McCoist at the end of the season.

Date of match:
Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Results:
{H} Rangers (2): Jelavic 21, Lafferty 25
{A} Dundee United (0): -