Dundee 0 Rangers 2
Rangers showed Dundee no mercy at Dens Park to move back within eight points of SPL leaders Celtic, who host the first Old Firm derby of 2004 next week.
The champions had been accused of ruthless off-field treatment to a club that is still threatened by extinction over the sale of Gavin Rae. Rae, whom Dundee insist is worth twice Rangers' latest offer of £125,000, took no part in game that was settled by first half goals from Nuno Capucho and Michael Ball.
It was a comfortable, rather than comprehensive, dismissal of a youthful home side, who now find themselves edging ever nearer to a relegation battle. A nervous start on Dunfermline's plastic pitch had conspicuously cost Rangers two weeks ago but this time they were full of early enterprise.
David Mackay's alertness prevented Peter Lovenkrands from opening the scoring in the third minute after the Dane had made rapid progress from the left flank to reach the box via a one-two with the recalled Capucho. The resulting shot past goalkeeper Julian Speroni was goal-bound but not pacy enough to prevent the young defender from hacking away before it could reach the line.
There was no such reprieve for the home side three minutes later when Chris Burke swung in a cross from the right for Capucho to head home unchallenged from six yards.
Rangers doubled their lead in the 35th minute after Mikel Arteta had been tripped 25 yards from goal. The usual set-piece expert left the free-kick to Ball, which proved a good decision as his delivery ended up in the back of the net, possibly off the head of Lee Wilkie.
Wilkie is no stranger to calamity in games against Rangers, having conceded an own goal and two penalties the last time the two sides met at Dens Park but to credit him with this goal would be excessively harsh.