Rangers make no mistake

SPL review: Rangers secured a third Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League title in a row this afternoon, with a 5-1 thrashing of Kilmarnock, rendering Celtic's 4-0 home win over Motherwell redundant. It means Walter Smith brings down the curtain on his second spell as manager with a domestic double, before handing over to assistant Ally McCoist.

The Scottish champions knew a win would secure the silverware and add to the Co-operative Insurance Cup already secured this term and the match was effectively over as a contest after just seven minutes.

Kyle Lafferty, who had netted in the last two title deciders, was on target again this time around, helping himself to a hat-trick, with Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic also on the scoresheet on the day dubbed 'Helicopter Sunday'.

The win means Smith signs off with 10 championships, and a total of 21 trophies over his two spells at the Ibrox helm.

He played down his own role afterwards, telling Sky Sports: "Everything you do is for the club. I'm just delighted that Rangers have managed to win."

He declined to reflect too much on his extraordinarily successful second spell, hampered by huge financial worries at Ibrox.

“I’ll have a wee drink just now, I think," he added.

Those money problems forced Smith to sell leading striker Kenny Miller in the January transfer window. And the manager praised his players for battling on, saying: “I think in the end they deserved it — obviously I’m biased but I think they deserved it.”

Celtic finished their campaign with a comfortable home win over Motherwell but lost out by a point. Goals by Gary Hooper and Georgios Samaras had the game tied up by the interval.

Celtic substitutes Shaun Maloney, on at the break for Emilio Izaguirre, and Paddy McCourt, on for James Forrest, grabbed further goals but it was not enough to prevent the Hoops finishing second to Rangers for the third successive season.