Rangers 'now feel what is possible' in Hearts and Celtic title race

Skipper James Tavernier’s 100th league goal from the penalty spot at the start of the second half and two strikes in time added on from substitute pair Danilo and Djeidi Gassama had supporters hailing Rohl and dreaming of a once unlikely-looking title win as they left Ibrox.

Their day was improved by the news from Tynecastle, where both Hearts and Celtic had dropped points. Rangers face Porto in the Europa League in Portugal on Thursday before heading to Easter Road on Sunday to take on Hibs. No one can argue with their current run of eight wins on the trot and the fans are fully behind a team with realistic aspirations of becoming champions. Rohl admitted “it’s on” when he met reporters later.

The German is appreciating the fact fans supporters not rushing towards the exits before the end, which has long been a feature of Rangers home games. He also noted that the players are now happier to walk closer to the edge of the pitch when they are performing their lap of appreciation at the end.

“We spoke before the game about the noises in the stadium,” said the German. “I know this is always at first our responsibility to bring the game and the result, but a big message to my group, when we started together, the stands were more... not empty, but not so many people, and today you feel, I look around, then after the 2-0 and 3-0, the stadium was full, there were more people there.

“I think this is exactly what my team at the moment deserve, they deserved this part. Remember when we started in October? There was a big distance - 40, 50 metres between the supporters and the group. Not really now, you see the connection, we can enjoy to go around (the pitch), we have to enjoy today, and then on Monday, Tuesday we go again and prepare for the next game. But big respect to our supporters. I think they feel now what is possible, we try our best to be on the front foot every game, and then we go forward together.”

If Rangers can continue like this ...

On the question of the narrowing gap between Rangers and the top with 15 games to go, he sounded bullish. “It feels great,” he said. “But hopefully the feeling will get better and better during the second half of the season, because this is still a long way to go, we know this. I know, at Rangers, the demand is high to get a lot of wins. But for me it's also eight wins in-a-row, it's a statement, especially from which point we are. If we can continue this, and we do our homework and we go again, then, yes, it's on.”

Dundee manager Steven Pressley was disappointed in the way his in-form side did not show the best of themselves after a run of four wins in five matches.

“At 1-0 down just touching 90 minutes, I was still disappointed because I think we're better than we showed today,” he said. “I thought we showed a maturity and a bravery in terms of first phase and mid-phase build-up, but we didn't create enough clear-cut opportunities within the game.

"We've got some special players that can create these moments. So that aspect, I'm disappointed, because I genuinely came here thinking we could take something from the game.”