Rangers 1-0 Hibernian

James Tavernier curls home a brilliant free-kick to score for Rangers

James Tavernier curled in a sublime free-kick from wide on the left to sink Hibernian and extend Rangers' winning run under Mark Warburton to six games.

The right-back scored his fourth of the season, and his second set-piece strike against Hibs.

Kenny Miller narrowly failed to add a second as his toe-poke fell kindly for Mark Oxley in the away goal.

Jason Cummings and Liam Henderson missed excellent Hibs chances, a lack of ruthlessness proving their undoing.

Against the backdrop of the Scott Allan transfer saga, barbed comments from both managers, and a 6-2 Scottish Challenge Cup drubbing inflicted by the hosts a month ago, Alan Stubbs' team acquitted themselves well at Ibrox.

They endured a shaky start, though, as Fraser Fyvie's over-hit backpass on 10 minutes did goalkeeper Oxley few favours.

The stopper heaped pressure on himself with a heavy touch that allowed Martyn Waghorn to block his clearance.

Barrie McKay failed to capitalise, but minutes later Rangers threatened again, as Miller's incisive run from a throw-in caught the Hibs defence on the hop.

From the resultant corner, Waghorn should have powered his header beyond Oxley, rather than over the crossbar.

Wes Foderingham in the Rangers goal followed Oxley's lead when his slack pass was seized upon by Martin Boyle, but the winger dallied, reluctant to take on the strike with his left foot, allowing Rangers to clear.

Harnessing the energetic passing game that typifies the early days of Warburton's reign, the hosts steamed downfield on the break, and captain Lee Wallace had his shot turned round the post by Liam Fontaine.

Hibs, in the main, coped well with Rangers' midfield industry, and looked most threatening on the counter-attack, with new signing Henderson driving them forward and adding touches of quality.

Jason Cummings' volley is blocked by Rangers captain Lee Wallace

His deflected cross found Cummings, but the young striker's hooked volley was brilliantly blocked by Wallace from close-range.

Waghorn and Cummings traded blows again as half-time loomed, the ex-Wigan forward seeing his trickling low shot cleared off the line by David Gray, before Cummings, played in by Boyle, passed up a fantastic chance in scuffing his effort straight at Foderingham.

With Rangers emerging from the interval imbued with verve and energy, Oxley came to Hibs' rescue, diving low to his left to tip Jason Holt's volley round the post after Fontaine had blocked the midfielder's initial effort.

Nicky Law and John McGinn tussle for possession at Ibrox

Fontaine made a vital intervention again in challenging Miller in the box, before his header was parried away at the other end by Foderingham.

Henderson passed up the chance of the match when Cummings on the break jinked beyond the stretched Rangers defence, creating a two-on-one, and squared for his new teammate.

The pass from Cummings was soft, but the Celtic loanee ballooned his effort wildly over the bar.

It would prove a crucial error. Barely two minutes later, Rangers were ahead, as Tavernier swung in his magnificent, bending free-kick from a seemingly impossible angle over Oxley's outstretched fingertips.

Henderson fluffed his lines again when Dan Carmichael found him in space in the box minutes later, and as the second half wore on, Miller could not cap a flowing Rangers move with a killer second goal.

Stubbs threw on striker Dominique Malonga in an attempt to salvage a late draw he might feel Hibs' play warranted, and Lewis Stevenson had one final chance for Hibs to level in stoppage time, but the ball was nicked from his toes at the vital moment.