Rangers booked their place in the second round of the Petrofac Training Cup with a 6-2 win over Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday afternoon.
Sam Stanton gave Hibernian an early lead before Rangers struck twice just before half time through new signings James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn.
Waghorn added his second of the match soon after the restart, before Jason Cummings pulled a goal back for Hibernian. But that goal was mere consolation for the home side as Andy Halliday and a brace from Kenny Miller added to Rangers’ scoreline to record an emphatic result in manager Mark Warburton’s first competitive game as Rangers manager.
Hibs took the game to the visitors early on, and in the fourth minute Jason Cummings had a great opportunity to open the scoring but as he met a Paul Hanlon cross at the back post, the Hibs striker could only head it against a Rangers defender.
Minutes later and Rangers once again were under the cosh, but had Hibs to thank for not being clinical enough in front of goal.
David Craig crossed for Lewis Stevenson from a corner, before laying the ball back for Dominique Malonga, but the striker fired his shot well over from 15 yards out.
The breakthrough finally came and deservedly it was Hibernian that took the lead on 14 minutes when Stanton picked the ball up inside the Rangers half before driving at the Rangers defence before firing a low shot past Mark Foderingham in the Rangers goal from 25 yards out.
The Ibrox side looked to secure a quick fire equaliser and on 21 minutes a pass from David Templeton intended for Lee Wallace fell to former Hearts midfielder Jason Holt who fired wide under pressure.
As half time approached Hibernian should have doubled their lead when a Stanton free kick from the right found Liam Fontaine just six yards out, but he could only nod the ball wide with the goal gaping.
Those misses proved costly for Hibs as Rangers finally found their grove.
Hanlon fouled Jason Holt on the edge of the box and from the resulting free kick, new Rangers full back Jason Tavernier curled a superb free kick into the top right corer of Mark Oxley’s goal.
Five minutes later Tavernier and Holt linked up on the edge of the Hibs penalty area before the former Hearts player fired a low cross into the centre for Waghorn to slot home unmarked.
Two minutes into the second half and Waghorn added his second of the game when he ran onto a clearance from Rob Kiernan before firing a shot under Oxley at his near post.
Hibernian pulled a goal back on the hour mark as Cummings scored from the spot after the striker was bundled to the ground by Andy Halliday.
However, Halliday soon made up for that error just two minutes later, when he cut in from the right flank and curled an effort past Oxley from 20 yards out in off the underside of the crossbar.
As the home supporters flooded out of Easter Road having had enough, former Hibs striker Kenny Miller piled more misery on the departing Hibees as he slotted home a cross from Nicky Clark with 13 minutes remaining, before Miller added his second of the game as he fired into the roof of the net just five minutes later.
