Walter Smith's dream of delivering a record 10th successive title to Ibrox in his final season as Rangers manager lives on.

Just when most outsiders thought the champions were down and out they sparked back into life.

Smith must have been thrilled with this display at Tynecastle today coming as it did after the defeat by Aberdeen which appeared to wreck their championship ambitions.

But Rangers got the points and the goals they badly needed as they go neck to neck with Celtic with only two league games to go.

The goals came from an unlikely source with Rino Gattuso scoring twice with Rangers getting the others through Jorg Albertz.

Hearts were outclassed and will now have to settle for a place in either the Cup Winners' Cup or the UEFA cup next season.

This was an awesome performance from Rangers, who were forced to reshuffle their line up for this vital clash in the absence of key players.

Antti Niemi, Staale Stensaas and Craig Moore all returned to the starting line up.

Scotland number one Andy Goram and defender Sergio Porrini failed to recover in time from hamstring and back injuries while Lorenzo Amoruso was suspended.

Hearts were indebted to keeper Gilles Rousset who twice thwarted Rangers in the space of four minutes.

Brian Laudrup, so impressive today, picked out Gordon Durie in the penalty area after Albertz had played the ball through.

The Scotland striker thumped in a fierce shot only for Rousset to punch the ball away spectacularly.

Then four minutes later the French keeper saved with his legs from Durie again after Jonas Thern had carved out the opening.

Rangers should have gone ahead after 27 minutes when Laudrup and Gattuso linked up but Alex Cleland dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Rangers continued to carve out chances before the break and Durie and Stensaas were both unlucky not to put them ahead.

Rangers needed only three minutes of the second half to take the lead when Laudrup delivered a finely-weighted pass through the middle into the path of Gattuso.

The 29-year-old midfielder showed remarkable composure to tuck the ball under the body of keeper Rousset.

Hearts almost pulled level in the 52nd minute when Stevie Fulton saw a shot smack the underside of the bar and substitute John Robertson headed the rebound over the bar.

Play was held up briefly in the 58th minute when referee Jim McCluskey alerted police after an incident involving assistant referee Jim McBride but details of the problem remained unclear and the game continued.

Rangers continued to dominate the game and Gattuso headed over in the 64th minute following a cross from Cleland.

But a minute later Rangers went 2-0 ahead when Cleland appeared to handle the ball before breaking down the right.

He played the ball into the path of Laudrup, whose clever back-heel landed in the path of Albertz who cracked the ball home.

Rangers were reduced to 10 men when Moore was sent off for his second bookable offence after again clashing with Neil McCann.

But it did not stop Rangers scoring a third goal two minutes later when Albertz played the ball into Durie. He unselfishly picked out Gattuso, who made no mistake.

Teams

Hearts: Rousset, McPherson, Naysmith, Weir, Locke, Ritchie, McCann, Fulton, Flogel, Makel, Callaghan (Robertson 52).

Subs Not Used: Murray, Quitongo.

Rangers: Niemi, Cleland, Stensaas, Gough, Moore, Bjorklund, Thern (Ferguson 73), Gattuso, Durie (McCall 83), Albertz, Laudrup (McCoist 87).

Sent Off: Moore (76).

Goals: Gattuso 48, Albertz 65, Gattuso 78.

Att: 17,415

Ref: J McCluskey (Stewarton).