Rangers' straight eight stretches the title lead

Rangers recorded their eighth successive league victory at the expense of a Dundee United side struggling at the other end of the table. Goals from Lorenzo Amoruso, Barry Ferguson and Shota Arveladze were enough to extend the leaders' advantage over the champions, Celtic, to four points. The first Old Firm derby is just eight days away but Rangers have another important match before that, a Uefa Cup tie against Viktoria Zizkov.

A 2-0 deficit needs to be overturned and there may have been casualties from yesterday's outing at Tannadice, with Ronald de Boer limping off and Ferguson, Mikel Arteta and Peter Lovenkrands all hurt.

It was meant to be the dawning of a new era for the home side, with millionaire grocer Eddie Thompson having taken control of the club, and vowing to turn United into a force in Scottish football again. But there was little yesterday to suggest it is possible. Amoruso had scored the only goal of the game the last time Rangers came to Tannadice and he opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when he rose in the box to head in an Arteta free-kick after Danny Griffin had fouled Fernando Ricksen.

Rangers had already threatened by that point, with Arveladze having seen two shots saved and Lovenkrands twice missing from good positions. It was the captain, Ferguson, who made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time four minutes after Areteta had seen a free- kick palmed on to the bar by goalkeeper Paul Gallacher.

Ferguson made the move himself with a long ball to send De Boer into space down the right, and he motored into the box to meet the cross with a sweetly struck shot that found the net off the bar.

United had been second best, and the chances dried up altogether after the break. The best of their earlier efforts had fallen to Scotland striker Steven Thompson, who had seen a first-minute effort blocked by Amoruso before he was denied a much better chance by a point-blank save from Stefan Klos.

Arveladze wrapped things up in the 73rd minute when another quality ball from Arteta sent De Boer's replacement, Claudio Caniggia, away down the right.

The Georgian slid in to meet his cross and although Gallacher was able to parry his first effort a simple chance presented itself from the rebound.

Dundee United 0 Rangers 3
Amoruso 22, Ferguson 45, Arveladze 73

Half-time 0-2 Attendance: 10,013