In doing so, the Light Blues made a return to winning ways to extend their league unbeaten run under Beale ahead of Wednesday evening’s trip to the capital to face Hibernian.
“It was nice to get three points,” Beale told RangersTV after the triumph. “It keeps the run going which is important. I thought in the first half we were very good.
"You could see that Kilmarnock came to frustrate us, but to get the early goal from a set-piece helps. We had some good play and, although our last pass sometimes let us down, I was pleased with the first half.”
Indeed, it was a first half full of quality from the Ibrox side as goals from Connor Goldson, Fashion Jr. and James Tavernier set the team on their way before the interval.
Promisingly, it was the third time since Beale’s arrival that the Light Blues have scored multiple goals in the first half following the emphatic victories over Motherwell and Hearts earlier this season.
That clinical streak is highlighted by the fact that Saturday’s victory was the fifth time in the last eight matches in all competitions that the Light Blues have scored three times (Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle, Hearts, Livingston, Kilmarnock).
The Gers have been prolific against Derek McInnes’ men this season having racked up eight goals against the Ayrshire side in their three meetings this season with Antonio Colak, who was given the nod to lead the line on Saturday, grabbing his first league goal for Rangers goal against Kilmarnock back in August.
Indeed, the Croatian enjoyed a strong display on his return to the starting lineup on Saturday, linking play effectively and grabbing his third assist of the campaign by teeing up Fashion Jr. The 29-year-old attempted 33 passes and he was singled out by Beale as a strong performer when the Gers boss was quizzed after the match.
Colak continues to show different sides to his game after a strong start to the season from a goalscoring perspective, dovetailing effectively with Todd Cantwell who caught the eye with his conviction on and off the ball.
The 25-year-old made an impressive 10 ball recoveries as his intensity mirrored the collective Rangers side in the first half. “I thought we were electric at the start,” Cantwell told RangersTV post-match. “We were really positive with our play and possession. It was nice to be a part of the intensity without the ball as well. We made it horrible for them in the first half.”
The manager conceded that the energy levels dipped at the beginning of the second half, with the midfield trio of Cantwell, Ryan Jack and Nicolas Raskin providing a strong base for the attack to operate fluidly before the interval.
Rangers also benefitted from yet another goal from a set-piece situation as Goldson opened the goal early from a short corner routine.
The Light Blues have now scored seven goals in as many games from set-piece and direct free-kick situations, with Beale telling RangersTV after the victory: “Harry [Watling] works hard with the boys on set-pieces. I thought it was well worked.”
The Gers were also strengthened by the return of John Souttar as the Scotland international made his first appearance for the club since the opening day of the season, further bolstering the defensive ranks ahead of a pivotal period of fixtures.
A trip to Easter Road awaits for Beale’s men on Wednesday evening before they look to seal another trip to Hampden with a Scottish Cup quarter-final showdown against Raith Rovers at Ibrox this weekend.