Rangers showed the title-winning knack of reacting to any adversity to silence Motherwell every time the visitors looked like being in with a shout of a surprise result at Ibrox.

The Fir Park outfit stunned Rangers by moving ahead through Benito Kemble's 18th minute header, but that was merely the cue for the home side to come alive after a faltering opening.

Three goals in 15 minutes moved Rangers ahead through Lorenzo Amoruso, though Rod Wallace made a goalline claim on the goal, Seb Rozental's penalty and a Jorg Albertz strike.

Cue Motherwell to again pose a question or two courtesy of a Lee McCulloch header on 42 minutes only for Wallace to head in from close range a mere 60 seconds later to make it 4-2 by half-time.

After that pulsating 45 minutes, the second half was always going to be a tighter affair with Rangers manager Dick Advocaat's instructions to his team being to close out the victory.

Again however it took a minor scare, another McCulloch headed goal being disallowed, before Rangers confirmed their dominance with Wallace's 71st-minute close range header for a disputed hat-trick. Tugay Kerimoglu's injury-time penalty made it an emphatic win for Rangers.

Rangers were without a recognised full-back with Arthur Numan and Tony Vidmar missing meaning a recall for Scott Wilson.

Motherwell offered an instant debut to former Bolton and Aston Villa midfielder Sasa Curcic who joined the Fir Park outfit as a free agent this week after impressing on trial.

There were few early signs of the goals glut to come, Albertz dragging a shot wide from the edge of the area that failed to trouble Andy Goram who was warmly received on his return to Ibrox.

The visitors tested Rangers' reshuffled backline for the first time on 17 minutes when a low McCulloch cross picked out a free Curcic who fired a fierce shot which Stefan Klos had to touch over. That one-handed stop maintained the deadlock, but the Rangers keeper was powerless a minute later when Kevin Twaddle's corner was headed in firmly by an unmarked Kemble.

However, Rangers were to be behind only three minutes when a Giovanni Van Bronckhorst header was met by the head of Amoruso at the far post to leave Goram wrong-footed. The Italian defender claimed the goal, but the final touch was disputed by Wallace who was lurking on the goalline and may have got something on the ball before it reached the net.

Advocaat made a tactical switch on 26 minutes to remove Andrei Kanchelskis from the fray and bring on Neil McCann on the opposite flank to provide more balance.

Rozental spurned a clear shooting opportunity moments later, but on the half-hour, the Chilean forward made no mistake from the penalty spot to put Rangers ahead. Ged Brannan was adjudged to have handled inside the area and Rozental took over the penalty duty which has now clearly been relinquished by Albertz after his recent Old Firm miss.

Rangers moved 3-1 ahead after 36 minutes when Albertz switched feet cleverly from a Craig Moore cross to shoot low past Goram.

Motherwell had every right to feel deflated, but Curcic's trickery was offering them something extra in midfield and his pass set up Derek Adams for a snap-shot which Klos saved expertly.

Pat Nevin was introduced for the injured Twaddle on 41 minutes and within moments, Motherwell had pulled it back to 3-2 when Stephen McMillan's free-kick was headed in by an acrobatic McCulloch.

Rangers' response was ruthless as within a minute they were 4-2 ahead after McCann streaked clear on the left for Wallace to net at the far post with a looping header.

Rozental was replaced by Scotland international Billy Dodds at the break, but it was Motherwell who launched the first attack of note after the restart with a disallowed goal. A McMillan free-kick on 49 minutes was headed in by McCulloch only for an offside flag to rule out the effort as Motherwell kept their protests to a minimum.

A fine pass with the outside of his foot from Amoruso set up Albertz after 58 minutes, but the German sent his powerful half-volley across the face of Goram's goal.

Rangers' lack of movement was almost punished when Brannan stole the ball off Albertz, but after exchanging passes with McCulloch the midfielder was thwarted by Amoruso's saving tackle.

After 71 minutes, Rangers eased any lingering fears by extending their advantage to 5-2 when another searching McCann cross was headed in smartly by Wallace with Goram static.

Rangers had claims for a penalty refused after 83 minutes when Martin Corrigan appeared to bring down McCann, but did win a spot-kick in injury-time that was beyond doubt.

Jamie McGowan handled McCann's cross and this time it was Turkish international Tugay who stepped up to drill in his first Ibrox goal to confirm Rangers moving 12 points clear at the top.

Rangers: Klos, Moore (Nicholson 76), Amoruso, Wilson, Kanchelskis (McCann 25), Ferguson, Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Tugay, Rozental (Dodds 46), Wallace.

Subs Not Used: Penttila, Brown.

Goals: Wallace 20, 42, 70, Rozental 29 pen, Albertz 35, Tugay 90 pen.

Motherwell: Goram, Corrigan, Kemble, McGowan, McMillan, Brannan, Valakari, Curcic (Nicholas 56), Twaddle (Nevin 40), Adams (Harvey 79), McCulloch.

Subs Not Used: Woods, Strong.

Booked: Brannan, McCulloch, McGowan.

Goals: Kemble 18, McCulloch 41.

Att: 49,622

Ref: John Rowbotham (Scotland).