Lovenkrands leads way

Kilmarnock 0 Rangers 1

Peter Lovenkrands ensured Rangers ended the year at the top of the Scottish Premier League by grabbing the only goal of the game at Kilmarnock yesterday.

Rangers dominated the opening spell but, as in so many of their games recently, poor finishing let them down. However, the Kilmarnock defence had no chance in the 24th minute when Ronald de Boer flighted a long ball out to Lovenkrands on the left and he charged into the box before driving low under Gordon Marshall.

Rangers should have doubled their lead after 67 minutes when De Boer released Claudio Caniggia in the box but the Argentinian shot across the face of goal and past the upright. Ten minutes later Caniggia crossed to De Boer on the six-yard line only for the Dutchman to nod over the crossbar.

De Boer had the chance to make amends four minutes later when Caniggia set him up for a header once again, but this time he nodded straight into Marshall's waiting hands at the far post. Rangers continued to pile on the pressure, with Michael Mols was unlucky to see his shot strike the crossbar, but the single goal was enough to keep them a point clear of Celtic, who beat Dunfermline by the same margin.

Goal: Lovenkrands (24) 0-1.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, Canero, Innes, Shields, Dillon, Fowler, Fulton, Mahood, Mitchell (Dargo, h-t), McSwegan (Boyd, 66), McLaren. Substitutes not used: Meldrum (gk), Dindeleux, Hay.

Rangers: Klos, Moore, Amoruso, Malcolm, Ross, Ferguson, De Boer, Muscat, Arveladze (Caniggia, 51), Mols, Lovenkrands. Substitutes not used: McGregor (gk), Nerlinger, Latapy, McLean.

Referee: D McDonald.

Bookings: Kilmarnock: Innes, McLaren. Rangers: Moore.

Attendance: 13,396,

* Hearts remain in third place after a 2-1 win at Dundee, who suffered their second home defeat in a row after the Edinburgh side adapted better to a poor surface. Hearts took the lead through Andy Kirk, then Dundee equalised through Steven Milne before the visitors' substitute Graeme Weir scored the winner with 10 minutes remaining.