Peter Lovenkrands grabbed the only goal of the game to secure all three points for Rangers against Motherwell in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

It was a day of ecstasy and agony for Lovenkrands, who netted his 10th goal in seven games but whose involvement in the match was cut short by injury.

Even so, Rangers will now be even more determined to hold onto the Denmark international, having already rebuffed the advances of Birmingham last week.

In terms of the SPL, the defending Scottish champions had enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent weeks and they knew a win against Motherwell would take then to within a point of third-placed Hibernian.

That may not seem a lot for a club used to battling for top spot but Rangers manager Alex McLeish was well aware of the message such an ascent back up the SPL table would send out to the rest of the top teams.

As expected, Kris Boyd held onto his place in the starting XI, after bagging a hat-trick against Peterhead in the Tennent's Scottish Cup last week.

Dado Prso, Brahim Hemdani and Alan Hutton were also back in the squad after recovering from injury and the trio started the game on the bench.

But it was Motherwell who came out of the traps flying and immediately set about putting their visitors under pressure.

The game was just a couple of minutes old when they claimed Gers skipper Barry Ferguson had handled in the area but those pleas were ignored by referee Kenny Clark.

Motherwell were then denied the opener by the woodwork. A Jim Hamilton shot was parried by Rangers goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus, before Brian Kerr's rebound cracked off the crossbar.

At the other end, Chris Burke raced into the box before trying to set up Lovenkrands for the shot. The ball spun off the body of goalkeeper Graeme Smith before Thomas Buffel's effort deflected just over.

Rangers started to come into the game more and had the opportunity to put Motherwell under pressure when they were handed a free-kick just outside the box.

Bob Malcolm found the head of Marvin Andrews, who nodded towards goal, but the ball needed a touch at the far post and Sotirios Kyrgiakos just failed to connect.

Kyrgiakos then had a far more important role to play when Waterreus failed to deal with a Motherwell corner and the Greek defender was called into action to hook Scott McDonald's shot away from a gaping goalmouth.

Rangers did have the ball in the back of the net before the break but the offside flag was raised before the shot had even left the foot of Lovenkrands.

Rangers looked far more assured after the restart and should have been ahead within a few minutes.

A Malcolm free-kick into the box eventually broke to Andrews, who nodded into the path of Buffel but the Belgian international stabbed inches wide from close range.

The Ibrox side did not have to wait too much longer for the opener, though, and they were ahead after 55 minutes.

Once again, Malcolm flighted a set-piece onto the head of Andrews, and he set up Lovenkrands for the shot, who rifled home from inside the six-yard box.

The Rangers fans were on their feet again, this time to welcome the introduction of Dado Prso, who had missed the last nine matches with a hamstring injury.

Only the quick reflexes of Waterreus prevented Motherwell from finding the back of the net when he produced a superb save to deny Phil O'Donnell.

The game came to a painful, and abrupt, end for Lovenkrands with 20 minutes to go when he was stretchered off and replaced by Nacho Novo.

It had already been a busy afternoon for Waterreus and the work was not over for the Rangers goalkeeper, with Motherwell determined to set up a tense finish to the game.

The Dutchman did well to block a point-blank shot from McDonald, before William Kinniburgh's rebound sailed across the face of goal and wide, with no takers to prod home.

Teams

Motherwell Graeme Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, Kinniburgh, Hammell, Kerr, O'Donnell, McCormack (Fitzpatrick 87), Foran, Hamilton (McBride 79), Scott McDonald.

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Fagan, Maguire, Darren Lee Smith, Reynolds.

Booked: Hammell, McBride.

Rangers Waterreus, Malcolm, Kyrgiakos, Andrews, Murray, Smith, Ferguson, Buffel (Prso 64), Burke, Kris Boyd, Lovenkrands (Novo 70).

Subs Not Used: Klos, Hemdani, Hutton, Alex Rae, McCormack.

Booked: Buffel, Smith, Malcolm, Kris Boyd.

Goals: Lovenkrands 55.

Att: 10,689

Ref: K Clark (Scotland).