Rangers played host to East Fife in Scotland's League One this afternoon, looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the new campaign.
Ally McCoist's side went into half time with a 3-0 lead courtesy of a debut goal from Nicky Clark and a brace from veteran Lee McCulloch.
Things only got worse for East Fife in the second period as Lewis Macleod added a fourth before McCulloch completed his hattrick for a final score of 5-0.
Find out how all the action unfolded with our minute-by-minute text commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text coverage of the Scottish League One clash between Rangers and East Fife at Ibrox. Team news on the way...
RANGERS XI: Bell; McAusland, Cribari, Faure, Wallace; Crawford, Black, Macleod, Templeton; McCulloch
EAST FIFE XI: Andrews, Nelson, Johnstone, Thom, Mbu, Stewart, Willis, Dutot, Brown, Tuta, Buchanan
GOAL! Rangers 1-0 East Fife (Clark)
Well that didn't take long. Nicky Clark gives the hosts the lead with a goal of his own making, nodding past a defender and rifling one into the bottom corner with his left foot.
CHANCE! Black releases Wallace along the left flank and the defender's ball into the box falls kindly for Clark, but he puts his shot wide. Almost a second of the afternoon for him there.
As you might have expected, Rangers are dominating the game and holding on to possession well, yet East Fife are looking determined not to be walked over. They are going into tackles hard and defending in numbers.
Lee Wallace swings a free kick into the back post, but Johnstone gets up high and heads clear. East Fife goalkeeper Andrews plays the ball long and there might have been an opening for the visitors at the other end had Faure not won the ball in the Rangers box.
GOAL! Rangers 2-0 East Fife (McCulloch)
Lee McCulloch doubles Rangers' advantage with a well-placed header. Wallace played in a lofted pass that only needed a slight touch from the Gers vice captain. He bundles it over the line in confident fashion.
BOOKING! Cedric Tuta is the first man in the referee's book this afternoon for a foul on Ian Black.
CHANCE! There's a chance for East Fife as Brown plays a dangerous ball into the Rangers area that can't quite find Tuta. The hosts looked exposed there and would have been punished by a more clinical side.
It was almost too easy for Rangers in the opening stages as they coasted into that 2-0 lead, but East Fife are settling into the game now, holding possession in the midfield and staging some attacks of their own.
The Fifers press forward once again through Tuta, who is proving to be a bit of a handful. McCulloch shows off his versatility by getting back and clearing the danger.
Rangers looks exposed against as Tuta lets in Dutot in front of goal. It needs an excellent challenge from McAusland to prevent the Fife man from getting in a shot on goal.
BOOKING! Stewart goes into the book for a tug on Templeton's jersey. He can have no complaints about that one.
GOAL! Rangers 3-0 East Fife (McCulloch)
Wallace and McCulloch link up again to do further damager to East Fife. The latter goes on a mazy run over on the left and floats a cross over to the back post, where McCulloch met it with a diving header.
Ian Black hits a free kick well over the bar from the edge of the area. His side might be almost out of sigh here, but that was wasteful in any case, not troubling Andrews in the slightest.
Black's in-swinging corner finds the head of Faure, who got up well but failed to hit the target. There was a half-chance for East Fife from a set piece moments earlier, Johnstone blasting one into the wall.
HALF TIME: Rangers 3-0 East Fife
A comfortable first half for Rangers here at Ibrox. The double act of Wallace and McCuloch tore East Fife apart after a debut goal for Nicky Clark got the hosts up and running.
Ally McCost's side have looked exposed at the back on occasion, and I think a better side would have punished them. They look like conceding on the break, but with a three-goal lead at the break, you wouldn't bet against them taking maximum points.
Here's an action shot of Clark after he bagged that opening goal courtesy of Rangers' Twitter account:
ACTION SHOT: @nickyclark91 opening the scoring at Ibrox. What a way to start your debut! (via http://t.co/YmCWtWyHaP) pic.twitter.com/dNZb8vwDrB
— Rangers FC Official (@RFC_Official) August 31, 2013
Earlier today, Rangers' bitter rivals Celtic narrowly defeated Dundee United thanks to a superb free kick from Anthony Stokes. You can read our report on that one here.
KICK OFF: We are back under way here at Ibrox. Will Rangers sit back on that three-goal cushion, or go on the hunt for more goals in the second period?
Rangers go straight on the attack, but the move breaks down as Robbie Crawford puts the ball out for an East Fife throw after going into a challenge hard.
East Fife have replaced Alexis Dutot with Scott McBride as the Frenchman has suffered a hamstring strain. That news will come as a further blow to the visitors.
Thom makes an important interception to cut out Lee Wallace's cross from over on the right. He had to get the block in there because Nicky Clark was waiting in front of goal.
Templeton plays an searching ball into the box from some way out, but Andrews rushes off his life and claims the ball. Examining the replay, I think the Rangers man might actually have been going for goal there.
GOAL! Rangers 4-0 East Fife (Macleod)
Rangers extend their lead thanks to an peach of a volley from Lewis Macleod. The Fife defenders fail to clear their lines and a stray ball falls to Macleod on the edge of the box, and he volleys one into the top corner!
Rangers have been clinical this afternoon, putting away virtually every chance they have created. It hasn't been quite as one-sided as the scoreline suggests, but let's take nothing away from the Gers' finishing.
McAusland with a measured ball towards Clark along the right channel, but the young striker is forced off the ball. Good defending from East Fife.
GOAL! Rangers 5-0 East Fife (McCulloch)
It's a hattrick for Rangers veteran Lee McCulloch, and all three of his goals have come from headers. This one came following an excellent delivery from McAusland wide on the right, which McCulloch met with a glancing header.
It'sa rout here at Ibrox! McCulloch deserves plenty of plaudits for his aerial finishing, but the service he has received today has been first rate too.
Rangers made their first change right after McCulloch put away his third goal - David Templeton was replaced by Barrie McKay.
And now the Gers have made their second change, bringing on the young Andy Murdoch to replace Ian Black for the last 20 minutes.
A rare East Fife attack results in a corner, which Johnstone steps up to take. He puts far too much on it and it ends up clearing the area and going out for a goalkick. That's as close as the visitors have come in the second half!
BOOKING! Johnstone is booked for going in hard on McKay. He couldn't match the Rangers man for pace and ended up bringing him down. That could easily have been a red.
Here are the scenes after McCulloch completed his hattrick:
ACTION SHOT: @jiggymacc6 celebrating the first goal of his first ever competitive hat-trick. All headers too! pic.twitter.com/Tf69MXIm3m — Rangers FC Official (@RFC_Official) August 31, 2013
BOOKING! Gary Thom is the latest Fifer to go into the book for a tackle on hattrick hero Lee McCulloch. He is also lucky to escape with a caution as it look like he was the last man to me.
Rangers make their final change, bringing on Fraser Aird in place of Nicky Clark. It's been a dream debut for the 22-year-old, who is on the books at Ibrox as a trialist.
Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell is down receiving treatment after colliding with an East Fife striker. Looks like he will be able to shake this off an see out the game, though.
It's been a job well done for Rangers today. Their finishing has been exceptional, and they have held the ball much better in the second period. The visitors have not had a shot on goal since the first half.
CHANCE! McCulloch comes close to bagging a fourth goal as McKay plays a sweeping cross across the face of the East Fife goal. The striker picks it up at an awkward angle and shoots over the bar.
FULL TIME: Rangers 5-0 East Fife
A dominant Rangers run riot at Ibrox, with a Lee McCulloch hattrick and a goal each for Lewis Macleod and Nicky Clark giving them a 5-0 win over lowly East Fife.
So Ally McCoist's side maintain their 100% start to the league campaign. It's Arbroath at home for them next on September 14.
That all from me this afternoon. Many thanks for joining Sports Mole for this Scottish League One fixture.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
