Just as Oli Shaw’s first-minute opener set the tone for a fine win against Aberdeen the previous weekend, Ross County were up against it when Ryan Kent scored Rangers’ first goal after just six minutes.
Steven Gerrard’s side were in imperious form in their 5-0 win. Even though Ross Laidlaw saw five goals put past him, County’s goalkeeper put in a good performance when it could have otherwise been eight or nine.
John Hughes put his side out in a more conservative 5-4-1 shape, with Leo Hjelde making his debut as one of three centre-backs.
It is a brave move to put a 17-year-old loanee straight into the team, but Hjelde showed some of the same attributes of his countryman Kristoffer Ajer, who made such an impression at Kilmarnock a few years ago.
Unfortunately, the team as a whole didn’t defend sufficiently well, with some poor goals conceded by any standard. The midfield was given the runaround and the pressure from the home side was incessant in the first half.
County came firing out of the blocks in the second half and perhaps things could have turned out differently had the two efforts that came off the woodwork gone in, which would have made the scoreline 3-2 at the time.
There can be no complaints about the result, however.
What is fortunate is the chance to quickly forget. County have eight matches left before the split, five of them at home, and the first of those against Motherwell on Wednesday.
Hughes will be eyeing that and the visit to Hamilton on Saturday as massive opportunities to put points on the board.
More of the kind of performances against Hibs and Aberdeen and County could well do that.