DaMarcus Beasley went the distance as Rangers stayed within three points of first place Celtic with a 2-0 triumph over Saturday visitors Inverness Caley Thistle.

The Teddy Bears wasted no time in jumping ahead as Kris Boyd collected a Nacho Novo slip pass to open after only 35 seconds of play.

Beasley appeared to have doubled the lead in the fifth minute, but his cheeky lob was waved off by the offside flag.

The scoreline would hold into intermission after Boyd, Lee McCullough, Beasley and were denied on good chances.

Inverness opened the second half with some initiative, Graham Bayne going close with a long chip shot.

Walter Smith made a pair of changes up front at the hour, bringing on Daniel Cousin and recovered Frenchman Jean-Claude Darcheville. The move quickly paid dividends, as the latter flicked on an Alan Hutton cross for Carlos Cuellar to nod home.

Darcheville nearly piled on twice, but was denied first by the linesman's flag and then by the woodwork.

Nevertheless, Rangers closed out a solid victory to head into Wednesday's Champions League trip to Barcelona with momentum.

Scoring
RAN - Kris Boyd 5 1'
RAN - Carlos Cuellar 2 63'

Line-ups
RAN - Allan McGregor; Alan Hutton, Carlos Cuellar, David Weir, Sasa Papac, DaMarcus Beasley, Brahim Hemdani, Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch, Nacho Novo (Daniel Cousin 60'), Kris Boyd (Jean-Claude Darcheville 60')

ICT - Michael  Fraser; Ross Tokely, Stuart McCaffrey, Grant Munro, Richard Hastings, David Proctor (Alan Morgan 86'), Ian Black (Don Cowie 86'), Russell Duncan, Roy McBain, Dennis Wyness (Marius Niculae 83'), Graham Bayne