Scotland round-up: Rangers keep Celtic waiting

Neil McCann scored a hat-trick as Rangers FC swept aside Kilmarnock FC in some style at Ibrox stadium on Wednesday.

Comfortable victory
The comfortable 5-0 victory ensures that arch-rivals Celtic FC must now wait until 6 April before they have a chance to clinch the Scottish Premier League title for a second successive season. The crown would have been theirs with five games of the season still to play had nearest challengers Rangers slipped up against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Debut goal
However, this nightmare scenario for Ibrox club and their supporters was averted thanks to McCann's display of clinical finishing and a fairytale goal for 17-year-old Chris Burke just 60 seconds after he came on for his Rangers debut. Scotland internationalist McCann opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a close-range header after a swerving free-kick from Lorenzo Amoruso baffled the Kilmarnock defence.

Kanchelskis on target
And after Andrei Kanchelskis scored his first league goal of the season in the 33rd minute, McCann was once again in the right place to extend Rangers' lead. Kilmarnock goalkeeper Colin Meldrum was beaten by McCann's half-volley and watching Scotland manager Berti Vogts was left applauding the goalscoring talent of the winger.

McCann hat-trick
McCann completed his hat-trick on the hour-mark after a cross from Kanchelskis. Burke's goal in the 80th minute came a minute after he replaced Kanchelskis and rounded off an impressive performance from the Ibrox side. The result leaves Rangers on 87 points - 13 points behind Martin O'Neill's Celtic side with five games remaining in the league campaign.