Ronald Waterreus had one of his quietest ever games in a Rangers shirt with Hearts offered next to nothing in attack, their disappointing afternoon compounded when substitute Saulius Mikoliunas was sent off late in the second half for a rash challenge from behind on Barry Ferguson.
The only negative note from Rangers’ perspective was news that Hibs had bagged a last minute winner against Motherwell to maintain their lead over the Ibrox side but McLeish would have been happy simply to see his side record their second consecutive SPL win.
In his programme notes the manager had spoken of “putting to bed” all talk of the Champions League and focus on “improving the domestic form” and that was reflected in Rangers’ bright performane that yielded plenty of possession but little goalmouth activity.
McLeish made just one change from the team that won at Kilmarnock the previous week, Hamed Namouchi in for the suspended Fernando Ricksen, and stuck with the attacking coupling of Lovenkrands and Thomas Buffel that had worked so well at Rugby Park.
The pair again looked lively and eager to be involved although they were largely shackled by a Hearts side that seemed intent in continually breaking up play with a succession of niggly fouls with Mike McCurry, the referee, seemingly happy to condone such behaviour.
It took until the 40th minute before he booked a Hearts player – Roman Bednar for a trip on Ferguson – and his erratic officiating and inactivity helped create a simmering tension in what should have been a showcase match between two of the best sides in the country.
When they weren’t disrupting Rangers’ momentum with petty fouls Hearts spent most of the first half chirping at the match officials.
Rudi Skacel, in particular, seemed to make it his duty to contest every decision that went against him and was still mouthing off at Lovenkrands and the match officials long after the half-time whistle had sounded.
By that time, Rangers were already in front courtesy of Lovenkrands’ sixth goal in four matches and his 11th overall for the season.
It was a simple tap-in for the Dane – poking the ball past Craig Gordon from a matter of yards after Bob Malcolm’s free kick had ricocheted into his path – and continued his recent upturn in form.
Lovenkrands could in fact have had his second hat-trick in as many weeks after some fantastic wing trickery from Chris Burke, who gave Jamie McAllister a torrid afternoon on the right flank, created two gilt-edged chances early in the second half.
For once though his new-found composure deserted him and he thrashed Burke’s first cutback high over the crossbar and then nodded another tempting cross off target just two minutes later.
In terms of botched efforts on goal, however, neither came close to matching the jaw-dropping miss from Marvin Andrews midway through the first half when the giant defender somehow sliced Lovenkrands’ cross high into the air from what a handful of a yards and with the goal at his mercy. Peter van Vossen may finally be off the hook.
Namouchi and Burke also had headers well saved by Gordon and, just as in previous weeks, there was a niggling sensation that Rangers’ inability to kill teams off could yet come back to haunt them, even against a Hearts team seemingly in reverse since the appointment of Graham Rix as manager.
Any chance of an undeserved comeback for the Edinburgh side, however, were killed stone dead when they had Mikoliunas sent off for a wild scything challenge on Ferguson five minutes from time.
Rangers survived the inevitable Hearts late rally to close within 11 points of their vanquished opponents but could have made it a lot more comfortable had their finishing been as impressive as the rest of their play.
RANGERS (4-4-2): 25 Waterreus; 24 Murray, 14 Kyrgiakos, 5 Andrews, 34 Smith; 17 Burke, 12 Malcolm, 6 Ferguson, 31 Namouchi (Thompson 78); 4 Buffel, 26 Lovenkrands (McCormack 90)
Subs not used: Klos, Pierre-Fanfan, Jeffers, Novo, N’Guessan
Booked: Malcolm (56)
HEARTS (4-4-2):1 Gordon; 2 Neilson, 4 Pressley, 6 Webster, 14 McAllister; 18 Cesnauskis (Mikoliunas 64), 10 Hartley, 28 Brellier, 8 Skacel; 9 Jankauskas (Elliot 64), 12 Bednar
Subs not used: Banks, Simmons, Berra, Wallace, Tall
Booked: Bednar (40), Pressley (52)
Sent Off: Mikoliunas (85)
Referee: Mike McCurry
Attendance: 49,723
Key Man: Chris Burke, Improving with every game