RANGERS extended their winning momentum with an impressive 3-0 victory over Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon.
The victory made it 13 wins out of 14 games for Michael Beale since his appointment back in December, extending the team’s long unbeaten run ahead of this weekend’s Viaplay Cup final at Hampden Stadium.
James Tavernier was once again central to the scoring, breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot in the first half before he doubled the Gers’ lead with a sumptuous free-kick 12 minutes from time.
It was a strike of supreme quality from the Light Blues captain, beating Shamal George in the Livingston goal for the second time this season after he arrowed a free-kick into the opposite corner on the opening day of the campaign. Indeed, it was the captain’s first goal from a dead ball situation since that afternoon in July.
The Englishman’s brace moved him onto 12 goals for the campaign in all competitions, which is just six fewer than his final tally for last season after he ended the season as Europa League top goalscorer during the side’s run to the final.
Tavernier’s consistency in front of goal has been a hallmark of his Rangers career, but his durability also remains mightily impressive. Saturday’s game marked the captain’s 40th appearance of the season, which is the eighth straight season that the full-back has reached that milestone since arriving at Ibrox.
Kemar Roofe rounded off the scoring for the Gers with five minutes remaining, underlining his penalty box prowess after coming off the bench for the second straight week and making an impact.
The forward may have been hampered by injury this term, but he continues to operate as a goal threat despite his limited time on the pitch. In fact, the 30-year-old has played over 20 minutes on just three occasions this season coming off the substitutes bench, finding the back of the net in two of them (Livingston and Aberdeen).
At the opposite end of the pitch, Rangers toasted a third successive clean sheet away from home, which should offer the side further encouragement ahead of their trip to Hampden on Sunday afternoon.
The triumph ensured that the Light Blues collected maximum points in their visits to the Tony Macaroni Arena for the second straight season, registering a clean sheet against David Martindale’s side in West Lothian for the first time since a momentous 1-0 victory over the Lions in March 2021.
The manager was keen to stress beforehand that Livingston represented a tough place to visit given their home form this season and position in the table, but the Gers’ defensive strength was exemplified by the fact they limited the home side to just a single shot on target across the 90 minutes.
The Light Blues have found a winning formula on the road since the turn of the year, with Saturday’s victory making it the third away league game in a row where they have scored three times. On the opposite side of the ball, Beale’s side sealed their fifth clean sheet out of their last six matches on the road.
Rangers will approach Sunday’s cup final at Hampden with the winning feeling firmly among the group as they continue their quest across three competitions.