The Ibrox skipper, 31, produced a superb long-range free-kick to equalise for Rangers after Danny Armstrong converted from the spot after a controversial penalty verdict.

Prior to the strike, the Rangers team cut a nervous outfit as Kilmarnock’s aggression and Rugby Park’s amateur surface contributed to a stuffy contest in Ayrshire.

Only minutes later, the impressive Tom Lawrence would complete the scoring by rolling into the bottom corner with a goal which has the power to be huge in the Scottish Premiership title battle.

Here’s four things we learned:

Rangers hold Scottish Premiership nerve v Kilmarnock

Coming in at half-time 1-0 down, you’ll have been hard-pressed to find many Rangers fans who were positive following the opening 45 v Kilmarnock.

The Ibrox side had battled to impose themselves in the contest with Kilmarnock not only taking the lead, but also having the better of the first-half chances.

Kilmarnock also started the second period positively and there was a feeling that it may well be one of those games for the Ibrox side.

But compliments to the Rangers team; they stepped up in the face of the Kilmarnock onslaught and found a way to win.

With Old Firm rivals Celtic hammering Dundee 7-1, it’s also kept us at the head of the Scottish Premiership.

He’s James Tavernier…

Rangers’ captain magnificent is such an important player for the club and once again stepped up when the club needed him most v Kilmarnock.

The flying right-back struck his 20th goal of the season – and his 121st for the club – with a spectacular long-range free-kick which had Will Dennis hopeless.

Really, this was an effort of the highest level and with Rangers running out of ideas it was always going to take a moment of greatness to bring us back into the game.

Step onward Tavernier, who like a superb wine is getting better and better with age.

Super Jack Butland in goals

Rangers goalkeepers are defined by preserving their concentration and coming up big when they’re called upon.

Jack Butland is then, by definition, a Rangers goalkeeper.

With the Gers failing to compete with an enterprising Kilmarnock at the outset of the second half, Butland pulled off an Allan McGregor-esque worldie to halt a goal-bound shot.

Getting down low to somehow keep the score at 1-0, without the save Rangers would’ve battled to get back into this game and the keeper helped win three points as much as James Tavernier or Tom Lawrence.

Rangers v Kilmarnock substitutes land.

Come half-time, Philippe Clement wasted no time in altering the Rangers team v Kilmarnock and yanked a dismal Borna Barisic and Portuguese striker Fabio Silva off the park.

On came Ridvan Yilmaz and Cyriel Dessers who added a physicality and toughness which was missing from the first half.

Utility man Dujon Sterling also made a major impression when he replaced Ross McCausland whilst Nicolas Raskin helped shore up the midfield when he came on for Tom Lawrence.

Squad rotation is fundamental to the Philippe Clement motto, but increasingly he’s proving that it’s both before the game and during it.

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