By Colin Moffat

Rangers' inexorable march towards the title continued with an impressive win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

Danny Wilson headed the visitors into a fifth-minute lead only for Suso Santana to level with a wonderful volley.

On the half hour, Kenny Miller added a diving header after Steven Naismith had smashed a shot against the crossbar.

Naismith shot home early in the second half and powered in a free header from a Steven Davis free kick late on to complete the scoring.

Regardless of other results, the victory leaves Walter Smith's side needing to win four or their remaining nine games to seal a second successive championship.

Rangers were back at full strength after fielding a weakened side in the midweek Scottish Cup loss at Dundee United and the visitors made a strong start to an absorbing first half.

With five minutes gone, Wilson scored his first goal for Rangers, the teenage defender rising above Ruben Palazuelos to meet a free kick from Kevin Thomson and finding the net with a smart downward header.

Hearts responded well, with Laryea Kingston and Santana eye-catching in midfield, and Allan McGregor saved from an angled Gary Glen strike.

A poor kick from Jamie MacDonald almost had Hearts in trouble when it went straight to Kris Boyd but the striker's control was clumsy and the keeper able to smother the danger.

The home side equalised on 16 minutes when Santana pounced on a terrible miscue from Sasa Papac to dip a tremendous volley across the bows of McGregor and inside the far post.

MacDonald made a great save to deny Davis as the Rangers midfielder cut in from the edge of penalty box and took aim for far top corner.

With Rangers again uncertain at the back, Glen could only fire over the crossbar from eight yards when the ball landed at his feet via a defender's shins.

MacDonald then produced an excellent double save, racing from his line to block at the feet of Boyd before back-pedalling furiously to tip away Miller's strike from 20 yards.

However, the Hearts custodian was picking the ball out of the net from Miller's header on 31 minutes.

Boyd nodded a Davis delivery into the path of Naismith and when the midfielder's powerful strike cannoned off the crossbar Miller was in the right place to apply the finishing touch.

The second half was three minutes old when Rangers increased their advantage, with Steven Whittaker setting up Naismith to clip the ball beyond the advancing MacDonald.

Hearts forward David Obua squandered a great chance to immediately reduce the deficit when he powered a free header straight at McGregor.

And, following a corner kick, the Rangers keeper had to work a little harder to tip away a header from Marius Zaliukas on 58 minutes.

Hearts continued to graft but had lost their earlier threat and they fell further behind in the final quarter when Naismith grabbed his second goal of the day.

The home defence was posted missing from a Davis free kick and the former Kilmarnock forward was completely unmarked as he planted a strong header home from near the penalty spot.

Hearts were denied a consolation goal when David Templeton jinked his way past two challenges only to see his goal-bound shot blocked by Wilson before fellow substitute Scott Robinson ballooned over the top with the goal at his mercy.

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