Michael Mols played only half a game but it was still enough to give Rangers a 1-0 win and all three points.

The Dutch striker popped up after 14 minutes to rifle home the only goal of the game after the visitors had dominated the early stages.

Motherwell had managed just one league win this season and never really looked like taking anything from the game.

Rangers hero Ronald De Boer was conspicuous by his absence but Dick Advocaat's men still managed to give former Ibrox man Andy Goram a hard time in the Motherwell goal.

Rangers threatened from the very start when Barry Ferguson appeared to be edged off the ball by Stephen McMillan. From the resulting corner Lorenzo Amoruso nodded just over.

After five minutes Greg Strong prevented Rangers taking the lead when Mols burst through the middle only to see his shot deflect off the defender.

Amoruso threatened again from another set piece after eight minutes, his free kick from 25 yards being pushed away by Goram.

Mols' goal came when the Dutchman unleashed a close range effort, the ball deflecting off Ben Kemble and flying over Goram into the back of the net.

Motherwell's first real chance of the game came from Kevin Twaddle after 26 minutes but Rangers goalkeeper Stefan Klos easily blocked the effort.

Just after the half-hour mark Claudio Reyna came close from the edge of the 18 yard box but Goram again came to the rescue.

Tugay may have been the hero in Monaco during the week but he drew attention to himself for the wrong reasons by being booked for dissent after 34 minutes.

Allan Johnston attempted a daring strike six minutes before the break in a bid to grab Rangers' second but the effort was blocked by Strong.

Mols, who is still trying to battle back to full fitness, was replaced at the interval by Peter Lovenkrands.

Yet the one-way traffic continued, Rangers looking particularly dangerous at set pieces and coming close to scoring from a Van Bronckhorst corner after 51 minutes.

The Dutchman swung the ball into the box and Billy Dodds nodded just over the crossbar at full stretch.

The Ibrox side almost scored a second when Johnston set up Reyna, the American's powerful shot from 20 yards only slightly off target.

Motherwell looked far brighter after the restart but still struggled to create much in the way of clear cut chances.

Tony Vidmar replaced Reyna after 71 minutes, almost having an immediate effect by heading a Van Bronckhorst free kick goalwards only for Goram to save comfortably.

In the final 10 minutes Rangers appeared to move into cruise control without actually threatening the Motherwell goal, prompting manager Dick Advocaat to prowl his technical area barking out instructions.

With eight minutes left the home side wasted a glorious chance to pull level when Lee McCulloch blasted straight at Klos with the goal beckoning.