Emerging Rangers talisman burrows deeper into fans' hearts but Ibrox isn't crowing over toppling Celtic

Already 3-0 up and seemingly cruising, the ‘as live’ table showed Rangers where they long to be on a more permanent basis: at the summit of the Premiership. They then threatened to make a hash of things. All's well that ends well, for the time being at least.

Rangers huffed and puffed after the interval and were punished less severely than they perhaps should have been. Kilmarnock substitute Nicky Clescenco finally got his side on the scoreboard in the final minute after Rangers substitute Vanja Dragojevic realised to his horror that he was the furthest player back. He had Joe Hugill and Clescenco bearing down on him.

Hughill played in his teammate, who tucked the ball beyond Ivor Pandur. It was a tidy finish. McInnes kicked the air in frustration. It was the first goal Rangers have conceded since early September against Falkirk.

He later accepted some mitigating factors for the hosts letting Kilmarnock back into the game. He also implored his players to enjoy the feeling of being top, even if it turns out to be a brief ascension - Celtic face Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday, where a win or a draw will see them supplant their rivals.

The Ibrox side have not led the pack since April last season, when three teams were jostling for the title. No one needs to tell McInnes how that panned out.

Rangers are now his only concern. He accepted he might have to take some blame for the less than dynamic second-half showing having elected to make so few changes to the starting XI. The last match against Celtic was a long time ago. It’s understandable if he reasoned the same players could ‘go again’. He later agonised over whether this had been the right thing to do.

It certainly seemed so at 3.45pm. A deflected effort from Kevin Kelsy was bookended by two strikes from Ryan Naderi. Both of Naderi's goals were very different in execution. The first, a header, spoke of his burgeoning qualities as a centre-forward while the second underlined the changing fortunes of a striker who couldn’t buy a goal last season.

Naderi made his international debut last weekend, coming off the bench in Czech Republic’s defeat to Spain and also getting minutes against England at Wembley in midweek. He is oozing confidence. He got himself between Kilmarnock defenders to nod the opener past Calum Ferrie after 15 minutes and ease Ibrox fears that the home team, faced with the task of winning to overhaul Celtic at the top, might fluff their lines. James Penrice’s cross from the left, after what had looked like an under-hit pass back to him from Djeidi Gassama, was a work of art.

Naderi’s second goal, on the stroke of half time, came off his shoulder and deflected in after Gassama drifted inside and tried his luck from the edge of the box. A VAR check was called for a suspected handball. However, the only thing threatening to ruin Rangers’ day was their own sloppiness. Even before Naderi opened the scoring Kilmarnock had passed up a glaring opportunity. Hugill found the second tier of the Copland rather than the back of the net.

Rangers stretched their lead to two after 24 minutes. Although the goal was credited to Kevin Kelsy, rightly so, the ball was actually blasted into the net by George Stanger as he attempted to clear the danger.

Handball inconsistencies irk Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann will never be persuaded that the Venezuelan striker did not handle the ball in the run-up – it certainly looked like he did when he stumbled while trying to control a pass from the right.

The Kilmarnock manager complained there was no VAR check for Kelsy's goal when there had been one for Naderi’s second goal, which had obviously come off the player’s shoulder. Still, Kelsy did well to delay his shot, eliminating one defender. He then rifled in with his left-foot as another, MJ Kamson-Kamara, sought to close him down. Stanger could only apply the finishing touch while trying to clear.

Ibrox was in ferment at half time. The only thing that could have improved the home fans’ mood was Michael Mols making an interval appearance to conduct the Union Jackpot draw, which he duly did. Grainy footage of past goals was played on the big screens. “I never played for the managers, I played for the jersey,” Mols told the interviewer to huge cheers.

No one is about to claim Naderi is ever going to match Mols’ legendary status at Ibrox nor would anyone suggest he is anywhere near as talented. They are very different players for a start.

However, Naderi is burying himself ever deeper into Rangers fans' affections and played a pivotal part in this game being over by half time – or so we thought.

It was just as well the hosts had established such a handsome lead because they seemed to completely stop playing in the second half. Or maybe Kilmarnock upped their game considerably. Either way, with a little more luck, the away side might have forced an extremely unlikely draw. Striker Tyreece John-Jules hit the post and had a goal chopped off for offside. Tom Lowery saw a curling shot brilliantly tipped over by Ivor Pandur.

McCann was kicking every ball as usual on the sidelines. He sensed a remarkable comeback at a stadium where he was once tasked with delivering crosses for the goals Mols regularly tucked away.

It wasn’t to be. There weren’t wildly joyous scenes at the end. In fact, it was notable how many Rangers fans drifted away before the final whistle, content that it was a case of job done – for now. Life at Ibrox feels like a summer of love just now in comparison to the civil war continuing to rage at Celtic Park.