David Melvin Reporting from Ibrox

Goals from Jean Claude Darcheville and Steven Whittaker gave Rangers a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox and narrowed the gap at the top of the table to one point.

With rivals Celtic dropping points earlier in the day in a 1-1 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle Rangers started the match knowing a win would tighten things up at the top of the SPL.

And it took just four minutes for the home team to make the breakthrough when Kris Boyd flicking on Allan McGregor's long kick out for Darcheville.

The Frenchman's strength and pace once again took him beyond the Kilmarnock defence and a clinical right footed finish past Alan Combe gave his side the lead.

It was exactly what Rangers deserved after a bright start and they went looking to add to their lead in the early stages.

Steven Naismith swapped wings and left right back Murray for dead as his pace carried him into the box. But the former Killie man couldn't produce a final ball as the slippery surface saw him lose his footing.

It was the same wing that again provided an opening just a minute later as Darcheville forced a corner after powering into the box.

With Rangers looking to extend their lead, Boyd was constantly involved, his height proving a problem for Simon Ford and Ryan O'Leary in the centre of the Killie defence.

With 20 minutes gone he controlled well on his chest and flicked the ball through to Naismith inside the box.

The Scotland under-21 captain had a fine chance to bag a goal against his old team mates, but dragged the opportunity wide from 12 yards.

Two enforced substitutions then broke the game up when goal scorer Darcheville was replaced by Charlie Adam after pulling up in the 32nd minute.

Killie also lost a player to injury with Rhian Dodds leaving the field to be replaced by Colin Nish.

With both sides adjusting their formations to accommodate the change of personnel, the game lost its tempo towards the break with just one chance for Killie late in the first half.

Substitute Nish was set free on the right after Mehdi Taouil had won his midfield battle with Kevin Thomson. But the Killie front man couldn't add to his four SPL goals, dragging his effort well wide of Allan McGregor's post from just inside the box.

Rangers again started brightly after the break, despite the dismal weather with Boyd again the target as Adam's corner found the striker's head, but he was unable to find the target with his effort.

With Barry Ferguson and Thomson dominating the centre of the park Rangers were on top and looking for a second goal.

And it was Thomson who tried to find Boyd in the 50th minute after a driving run through the middle, but his slide rule pass was intercepted by Ford.

The pressure was building on the Killie defence and again the opening came down Rangers' left after 55 minutes.

This time Whittaker, recalled to the team at left back, met Naismith's reverse pass and cut inside two defenders to fire a wonderful effort into the top right corner of Combe's net from just inside the box.

Naismith was getting increasingly involved in the game and nearly added a third when Lee McCulloch laid the ball off on the edge of the area.

The 21-year-old drifted away from his marker but couldn't find the target with a low left foot effort that slid narrowly past Combe's post.

Referee Alan Freeland then incurred the wrath of the Ibrox crowd as he turned down two strong penalty appeals in the space of a few minutes mid way through the second half for fouls on Naismith and Adam.

To compound the frustration of the home support, Thomson was booked in between the two spot kick shouts for an innocuous looking challenge.

With Kilmarnock chasing the game in the last ten minutes, Rangers were finding space on the break. Adam went clear on the left and swung a beautiful cross in for Boyd, but the striker's back post effort was smothered by Combe as Killie kept the score down to two.

Rangers: McGregor; Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker; Naismith, Ferguson, Thomson, McCulloch; Darcheville (Adam 32), Boyd.
Subs: Carroll, Hemdani, Broadfoot, Cousin, Furman, Efrem.
Bookings: Cuellar, Thomson

Kilmarnock: Combe; Murray, Ford O'Leary, Clancy; Fowler, Invincibile, Hamill (Fernandez 67), Dodds (Nish 38), Taouil; Wales.
Subs: Harpur, Gibson, Koudou, Bryson, Jarvis.
Bookings: Murray, Nish

Referee: Alan Freeland
Attendance: 48,055