Goals from Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic helped Ally McCoist earn his first competitive win as Rangers manager as his side ran out 2-0 winners away to St Johnstone.

McCoist knew anything less than a win in the match would have seen him make the worst start of any Rangers manager after an opening day draw to Hearts and defeat to Malmo in a Champions League qualifier.

However his worries were eased when Naismith headed home his 50th league goal to give Rangers a 31st-minute opener.

The Ibrox side were dominating possession and added a second five minutes after the break when Nikica Jelavic fired a low shot past Peter Enckelman to seal the defending champions’ first league win of the season.

It was a confidence-boosting win for Rangers, who will now travel to Malmo to try and overcome a 1-0 deficit in the second leg, and McCoist was delighted with both the result and the performance.

“I think it was important we started the game a lot better than we have the previous two and I certainly think in the first 45 minutes we did that,” the Rangers manager, and former St Johnstone player, said.

“We are delighted because it was a good performance and it was a deserved victory.”

Romanian defender Dorin Goian made his debut for the Glasgow giants in place of the injured David Weir while Lee Wallace made his first SPL start for the club.

Rangers’ slow start in their past two games had been the source of frustration for boss McCoist but they flew out of the traps in Perth with home ‘keeper Peter Enckelman needing to be at full stretch to stop Steven Whittaker’s early effort.

Both sides created early chances but it was the visitors who took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Scotland striker Naismith rose unchallenged 12 yards out to send a powerful header past the helpless keeper from Wallace’s free-kick.

Naismith was the architect of the second goal when he threaded a pass through to Jelavic, who slammed the ball past Enckelman.

Results
Inverness 0 - Hibernian 1
Kilmarnock 0 - Motherwell 0
St Johnstone 0 - Rangers 2
St Mirren 1 - Aberdeen 0

Today
Hearts vs Dundee Utd - 14.00

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