Rejuvenated Rangers win to hand Hearts title

• Rangers' first victory in six games

• Stuart McCall's first win as manager

• Rangers narrow gap on Hibs to three points

• Ex-Hearts man Wallace scores as former club clinch title

Rangers overcame a disjointed Hibernian 2-0 to get their promotion bid back on track and confirm Hearts as the winners of the Scottish Championship.

Lee Wallace opened the scoring in a dull first half with a deflected strike and Kenny Miller added a controversial second on 80 minutes.

The victory arrested a run of five draws and assured Stuart McCall his first three points as Rangers manager.

For Hibs, meanwhile, it was a first defeat since December.

Employing a 3-5-2 formation, Rangers offered more gumption and drive than their hosts, who struggled to reproduce the high-octane football that has enabled them to overtake the Ibrox side.

Having been beaten three times by Alan Stubbs men this season, a novel tactical approach was required by Rangers.

And McCall's men were seemed to have a clear objective to disrupt Hibs' midfield playmakers Scott Allan and Fraser Fyvie, slow the match down, isolate forward duo Dominique Malonga and Franck Djedje. In that respect, they were hugely effective.

The match was hardly a spectacle, but that was to Rangers' advantage.

The opening period proved uninspiring, Liam Fontaine spurning Hibs' best chance with a free header from six yards after being picked out by Dylan McGeouch's cross.

Rangers had the better openings.

Former Hibs playmaker Dean Shiels blasted high and wide from the edge of the area and Nicky Law curled a free-kick narrowly over before Wallace scored the opener.

Hibs were caught napping by a quick free kick that released Nicky Clark down the left, and although his cross was blocked by Lewis Stevenson, Wallace reacted quickest to scoop his shot beyond Mark Oxley.

Miller scores the second to send the Rangers fans wild

Rangers' most threatening player was almost in again five minutes after the break, steaming up the left touchline but failing to fashion a shot after a neat one-two with Miller.

The visitors might have had a penalty, too, after Fontaine pushed Clark in the back as the striker looked to turn inside the box.

Referee Willie Collum had an unobstructed view of the incident, but was unmoved.

Hibs came close when Hanlon peeled away from Bilel Mohsni to head Allan's corner wide, and then when a Mohsni slip allowed Djedje to break, only for the striker's attempted pass to Malonga to be intercepted by Marius Zaliukas.

Rangers continued to threaten, too, Clark almost doubling their lead after Miller sent him through, but the covering Hanlon made a super block.

However, the striker made safe the points in controversial circumstances with 10 minutes to play.

Wallace appeared to clatter Hanlon inside the box, but with Easter Road awaiting a whistle that never came, the striker took full advantage to slot past Oxley.

It was a vital triumph for McCall and Rangers and one that narrows the gap on Hibs to three points in second place with a game in hand.