Kenny Miller netted a double to send Rangers to the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League as they came from behind to defeat Kilmarnock.

It was the striker's second brace in three days after scoring twice against Forfar in the Homecoming Scottish Cup and allowed the Ibrox side to move a point ahead of Celtic prior to their visit to Motherwell on Sunday.

Rangers were left reeling when Killie took a shock lead through Jamie Hammill but Kris Boyd restored parity before Miller hit the target twice - with all three goals in a blistering six-minute spell.

There was a more familiar look to the Rangers side who faced Kilmarnock, with boss Walter Smith making no fewer than five changes from the clash at Forfar.

Skipper Barry Ferguson, Pedro Mendes, Steven Davis, John Fleck and Kirk Broadfoot were all back in the team.

Kilmarnock were boosted by the return of Kevin Kyle from suspension and Frazer Wright was also back after recovering from a knock.

Boyd - who had been a doubt with a heavy cold - looked dangerous from the outset and called goalkeeper Alan Combe into action in the opening minutes.

The striker raced onto a pass from Ferguson before trying his luck with an angled drive that the keeper managed to block.

Boyd was threatening again a few minutes later, this time from a Mendes ball, but, again, a full-stretch Combe was able to smother and prevent the shot from nestling in his bottom corner.

Instead, it was Kilmarnock who took a shock lead after 17 minutes.

Gavin Skelton played the ball to Garry Hay, who delivered a low cross to the feet of Hammill in front of goal, and all that was required was to stab home from close range.

Boyd picked up the first booking of the game for diving when he went to ground just outside the box following a challenge from Simon Ford.

But he was celebrating with 29 minutes gone when he grabbed the equaliser. A Mendes corner found Madjid Bougherra at the back post and he nodded into the path of Boyd to send a superb right-foot shot past Combe.

Miller then helped himself to a double in the space of two minutes to send Rangers surging into the lead.

Boyd set up the first after 33 minutes and Miller raced past Wright into the box and rifled a low shot into the box, before pouncing on a endes cross and squeezing between two Killie defenders to lash home his second of the day.

Kilmarnock tried to hit back after the break and Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was called into action to block a well-struck effort from distance from Hammill.

He then had another go after Kyle teed up the shot but, this time, the effort was well wide of target.

At the other end, Combe prevented Rangers from adding to their tally with a decent save at the near post to deny Mendes.

Killie threw Mehdi Taouil into the action and he slipped a lovely pass out to Kyle on the left but the big striker was wasteful and saw his angled drive dip well over the crossbar.

Another substitute - Spanish youngster Aaron - could have added his name to the scoresheet for Rangers late on when he met a Mendes corner only to see his shot flash across goal and wide.

Miller was then denied his hat-trick by an impressive block from Combe, who did well to prevent the point-blank shot hitting the back of the net.

Teams

Rangers McGregor, Broadfoot, Bougherra, Weir, Papac, Davis,Mendes, Ferguson, Fleck (Niguez 69), Boyd (Lafferty 77), Miller.

Subs Not Used: Alexander, Edu, Naismith, Dailly, Whittaker.

Booked: Boyd.

Goals: Boyd 29, Miller 33, 35.

Kilmarnock Combe, Murray, Lilley, Wright, Ford,Hay (Gibson 82), Hamill, Pascali, Skelton (Taouil 71), Kyle,Bryson.

Subs Not Used: Rascle, O'Leary, Flannigan, Sammon, Anson.

Booked: Skelton, Combe.

Goals: Hamill 17.

Att: 50,301

Ref: B Winter (Scotland).