McCoist relief as Rangers beat St Johnstone

GLASGOW (AFP) - Goals from Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic helped Ally McCoist earn his first competitive win as Rangers manager as his side ran out 2-0 winners away to St Johnstone.

McCoist knew anything less than a win in the match would have seen him make the worst start of any Rangers manager after an opening day draw to Hearts and defeat to Malmo in a Champions League qualifier.

However his worries were eased when Naismith headed home his 50th Scottish Premier League goal to give Rangers a 31st-minute opener.

The Ibrox side were dominating possession and added a second five minutes after the break when Nikica Jelavic fired a low shot past Peter Enckelman to seal the defending champions' first league win of the season.

It was a confidence-boosting win for Rangers, who will now travel to Malmo to try and overcome a 1-0 deficit in the second leg, and McCoist was delighted with both the result and the performance.

"I think it was important we started the game a lot better than we have the previous two and I certainly think in the first 45 minutes we did that," the Rangers manager, and former St Johnstone player, said.

"We are delighted because it was a good performance and I think anyone would agree it was a deserved victory."

Romanian defender Dorin Goian made his debut for the Glasgow giants in place of the injured David Weir while Lee Wallace made his first SPL start for the club.

Rangers' slow start in their past two games had been the source of frustration for boss McCoist but they flew out of the traps in Perth with home 'keeper Peter Enckelman needing to be at full stretch to stop Steven Whittaker's early effort.

Both sides created early chances but it was the visitors who took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Scotland striker Naismith rose unchallenged 12 yards out to send a powerful header past the helpless keeper from Wallace's curling free-kick.

Naismith was the architect of the second goal when he threaded a pass through to Jelavic, who held off Callum Davidson and slammed the ball past Enckelman.

Rangers went close to adding a third when Jelavic played in Naismith who outmuscled Frazer Wright to the ball but Enckelman did well to block his shot with his legs.

Rangers' Old Firm rivals Celtic are not in league action this weekend, instead participating in a friendly tournament in Dublin.

Elsewhere, Motherwell remain top of the table on goal difference from Rangers following a goalless draw with Kilmarnock.

St Mirren moved up to third place with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen thanks to a goal from new signing Nigel Hasselbaink.

Garry O'Connor's last minute goal helped Hibernian to their first win of the season as they ran out 1-0 winners at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.