TO those inside Ibrox on Saturday it was a thing of beauty. A diagonal overhead kick that finally broke the spirit of a stodgy, stuffy Hibs side.

But while Kris Boyd's peach of a goal lit up an otherwise dreary day at the office for Rangers, it will all turn ugly if this Saturday's game does not go in favour of Walter Smith's side. ONE BY ONE By Darrell King

McGREGOR Untroubled Keeper has been under the spotlight after some errors, but he will rarely have an easier afternoon than Saturday. Hibs offered nothing going forward and he had little to do until the later stages when he came and made a couple of solid punched clearances.

WHITTAKER Erratic Decent enough first period, getting forward against old club and whipping some dangerous balls into the box. But delivery was too wayward after the break and he had to deal with main stand crowd on his back.

BROADFOOT Solid Stuck to his task well and kept it simple. Looks a very natural centre-back and mopped up any signs - not that there were many - of Hibs danger. If Bougherra doesn't make Celtic game, he can do a job.

WEIR Focused For the first time in almost two years at the club the veteran has had some stick, but he responded with a good display, timing his tackles well and being more aggressive in the air.

PAPAC Sloppy Saw a fair bit of the ball on the left flank, but needs to be sharper with his passing. Didn't have anything to do at the back.

DAVIS Poor Not one of his better days. Like Papac, distribution could have been better and he just looked off colour until the last 20 minutes or so when he became involved more in the game.

FERGUSON Improving Another good show from the skipper who is now close to the fitness levels he was seeking in seventh start of the campaign. Linked well with Mendes.

MENDES Magnificent As good as he has been this season. Always on the ball and passing superb. His chip from 45 yards that came back off the Hibs bar would have been goal of the season had it been a couple of inches lower.

LAFFERTY Quiet Certainly looks to have a bit more confidence and he did try to go on some good attacking runs in the first half. But didn't do enough and was blunted out by dogged Edinburgh defence.

MILLER Subdued No surprise that Walter Smith revealed afterwards that an ongoing ankle knock is hampering him. Not his usual, sharp self.

BOYD Lethal Eighty nine goals in three years at Ibrox after his superb hitch-kick finish. Could have scored when clean through in the first few minutes, but kept plugging away and won the game with classy conversion.

NOVO Busy Full of running and endeavour but, given his Old Firm specialist tag, will he get a starting slot this weekend?

SMITH Content Knew this would be tough as Hibs have been going well. But level of football, especially in the first half, must have pleased him. There was always a feeling Rangers would get a goal. Silly dropped points had made this Old Firm game post-Christmas cracker a huge game - but the veteran boss will know if his side play the way they can they can win it.

The final whistle had barely sounded to end this one-sided contest when talk began to revolve around the visit of Celtic on Saturday.

And while the portents look good for Rangers - the Hoops have won just once at Ibrox since Gordon Strachan took over the Parkhead side - it would be folly to suggest that Saturday's game will be as simple as turning up for Rangers.

Regardless of the fact that Celtic haven't scored at Ibrox since back in December 2006 -also the same year they last kept a clean sheet against their oldest rivals - the fact is that these games are settled by the form team, regardless of what others may tell you about the form book being chucked out the nearest window.

And in that regard, there is not much to choose between the two. Had this fixture been played at the beginning of December, Celtic would surely have been strong favourites.

Strachan's side were on an unbeaten run of 12 games, but curiously faltered at Easter Road and then couldn't get going against Hearts. Their win at Falkirk yesterday was vital.

The points against the Bairns were imperative, not just to maintain the distance between themselves and Rangers, but also in terms of belief.

For Smith's side, the win over Hibs was equally important. The tension in the stadium burst like an over-inflated balloon on the hour mark on Saturday because so much was at stake. If Celtic cannot afford to falter, the same mantra applies doubly to Rangers.

The Parkhead side need only a draw to maintain the four-point gap between themselves and Rangers and, as such, do not need to chase the game.

If, though, Rangers can muster the aggression and energy they showed in the opening Old Firm match back in August then Celtic will have a game on their hands.

One thing is certain. There is no way Strachan's side will turn up on Saturday with the kind of philosophy that could get football stopped.

Hibs were truly dreadful. To the untrained eye there was but one goal between the sides. In truth, though, the gap between the two was as wide as Santa's beard is long.

They had one shot on target in the entire 90 minutes when Steven Fletcher - who needs to get out of the Easter Road club before he's dragged down by the poor quality around him - met an Alan O'Brien cross that was more than comfortably held by Allan McGregor.

Rangers have not lost a game at Ibrox since last October - ironically to Hibs - and a siege mentality will be necessary to protect that stat against Celtic.

Similarly, much pressure will fall on the shoulders of Boyd, who has scored just once against the Hoops.

The striker looked to be on his way out of the club in August when Rangers romped to a 4-2 win, but since then has pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

Saturday's strike was his 16th in the SPL this season, from 18 starts and from 21 appearances in all competitions. An Old Firm start surely beckons for him.

But if much is expected of him, the same can be applied to Barry Ferguson and Pedro Mendes.

Ferguson played the most composed game against Saturday since his comeback from surgery and his return to full sharpness couldn't come at a better time for Rangers.

"I thought Barry played very well this week and last week," said Walter Smith afterwards.

"There is a spotlight on him and obviously after five or six months out he was never going to come back and be the player he was.

"But in the last two games he has been excellent for us.

"Pedro played well too and it wasn't easy for those two because Hibs sat in front of them. It was difficult but they are players who work very hard, even if that isn't always noticed.

"They have to work off the ball a lot and they'll be big players for us this week, I'm sure."

Smith, who revealed that Madjid Bougherra ought to be fit for the Old Firm game, also praised his side for their patience against Hibs and knows the same approach may be needed against Celtic.

The Hoops can afford to play a calm possession game this weekend and, as such, Rangers cannot go on all-out attack for fear of being picked off on the break.

"We were always going to have to show a level of patience against Hibs and we did that," said Smith.

"You have to watch that you don't get too frustrated in that type of game.

"But at some stage you are always going to get some kind of opportunity and it was a terrific goal for us at the weekend that won it." NEED TO KNOW

Was it a good game? Not at all. It was dreary and lifeless for long spells as Hibs made heavy weather of trying to drag a point back along the M8. The Easter Road side are a shadow of the team they were a few years back when they lit up the SPL with a vibrant and energetic brand of football. Granted, their team has been picked apart by the Old Firm with players quitting the club, but they could at least attempt to play a bit of football.

Rangers' best man? Pedro Mendes stood out with his composure in the middle of the park. The midfielder almost scored a spectacular 45-yard effort that cannoned off the crossbar. But that attempt aside, he was at the heart of everything Rangers sought to do in a stuffy midfield that was short on space.

And their man? Steven Fletcher ought to have scored with the chance he got deep in the second period, but the striker does stand apart from his colleagues. However, Sol Bamba was particularly impressive against Rangers with his industry and workrate.

What about the ref? Steve Conroy could have let the game flow a bit better. Was overly officious at times and the home side were up in arms at a couple of questionable free-kick calls, as well as one penalty shout when Steven Whittaker took a tumble in the second period.

And who's up next? Need you ask? Celtic are next on the agenda as Rangers seek to enliven the title race by closing the gap to just one point.