KRIS BOYD ensured a positive end to a difficult week by firing Rangers to a 1-0 victory over bottom side Falkirk yesterday in the Scottish Premier League – and keeping their title hopes alive for now.

The Ibrox side were under even more pressure to produce the goods in the wake of Barry Ferguson being stripped of the captaincy and suspended by the club, along with goalkeeper Allan McGregor, following their antics while on international duty with Scotland.

The display at the Falkirk Stadium was hardly a shining example of Rangers’ ability to cope without the pair in forthcoming crucial games but was enough to move within three points of leaders Celtic again.

Disparaging chants from a majority of the Rangers support aimed at the Tartan Army, Scotland coach and Falkirk defender Steven Pressley, and the Scottish FA suggested Ferguson and McGregor had the sympathy of at least some of their fans.

And, although the official line from supporters groups was that they supported Walter Smith’s hardline stance to suspend the pair without pay for two weeks, with speculation mounting that they have played their last game for the club, many will be concerned by how the loss of two key players will affect their title hopes.

Celtic had piled the pressure on Rangers with a convincing 4-0 win over Hamilton at Celtic Park on Saturday.

A Georgios Samaras double – his first goals for Celtic since January – came either side of an Aiden McGeady strike as the champions coasted to victory.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink came on for Scott McDonald and notched his first goal since September to add the icing on the cake.