Rangers 3 Aberdeen 0: Rangers go top after rout

Rangers overtook Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Sunday after beating Aberdeen 3-0.

Rangers got the chance to move above Celtic because its fierce Glasgow rivals, the defending champions, lost at Hibernian 3-2 for their first league defeat of the season.

Aberdeen held out at Ibrox until a minute after halftime, when Lee McCulloch struck with a long-range shot.

Steven Naismith scored his first goal for Rangers in the 65th with a low, right-foot shot, before substitute Kris Boyd rounded off the scoring with two minutes left.

Celtic twice rallied at Easter Road before losing to an 87th-minute goal by Dean Shiels.

Aiden McGeady and Gary Caldwell had equalized after goals from Steven Fletcher and Thierry Gathuessi, but Shiels won the match when he scored into an empty net after goalkeeper Artur Boruc had dropped a shot by Merouane Zemmama.

Rangers has 18 points from six matches, two more than Celtic and three more than Hibernian, which moved up to third place.

Goals: McCulloch (46) 1-0; Naismith (65) 2-0; Boyd (88) 3-0.

Rangers: McGregor, Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Ferguson, Thomson (Faye, 87), McCulloch, Naismith (Boyd, 84), Cousin (Darcheville, 70). Substitutes not used: Carroll (gk), Beasley, Shinnie, Emslie.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Hart, Diamond, Considine (Touzani, 84), Foster, Nicholson, Severin, Maguire (Young, 46), Clark, Miller, Jamie Smith (De Visscher, 66). Substitutes not used: Soutar (gk), Mair, McVitie.

Referee: I Brines (Scotland).

Booked: Rangers McCulloch; Aberdeen Severin, Diamond, Miller, Foster.

Attendance: 49,046.