Glasgow Rangers 4 Dunfermline Athletic 1

Last updated : 23 March 2004 By Footymad Previewer

With four goals in the opening half-hour Rangers signalled their intention that Celtic will have their work cut out in this Sunday's Old Firm match if they are to remain unbeaten this season.

The league race may be over but with four Scots in the starting line-up, Rangers were keen to set a foundation on which they could build for next season.

It took the home side just two minutes to take the lead when Alan Hutton rose majestically to head home Ronald de Boer's well-struck corner.

Peter Lovenkrands scored Rangers' second with a magnificent left-foot volley from 18 yards after a one-two with Gavin Rae as the Ibrox side threatened to run riot.

Their momentum was briefly stopped when Dunfermline reduced the deficit from the only attack of the first half.

Barry Nicholson's cross to the back post found Andrew Tod on his own, and he made no mistake with his header.

Lovenkrands should have shot first-time from yet another superb Ronald de Boer pass, but the Danish winger made amends with a clever run along the byline.

From his cross, Stephen Hughes fed the ball into the path of Ronald de Boer who curled his shot delightfully over a couple of defenders into the far corner of the net.

It looked as though Rangers would score from every attack and so it proved when Ronald de Boer threaded a pass through a static Dunfermline defence to find Michael Mols who in turn fooled Scott Wilson completely before he dispatched his shot low under keeper Derek Stillie.

Mols could easily have added another double before the break and Frank de Boer nearly added to the lead shortly after the interval, only for Stillie to fling himself to his right to block the free-kick.

The visitors were more of a threat in the second half as Rangers understandably eased up and a shot from Darren Young had Stefan Klos scrambling across his line.

Steven Thompson, who had come on for Ronald de Boer at half-time, powered a header narrowly over from Mols' cross.

Gers boss Alex McLeish took the opportunity to send on youngsters Chris Burke and Bajram Fetai and the young Danish striker was unfortunate to be pulled up for offside after he lashed home a Frank de Boer free-kick which had broken to him.

Rae then tested Stillie with a stinging drive before the home side ended the match with only ten men after Frank de Boer limped off.