Kyle Lafferty earns hat-trick reward and targets treble

RANGERS striker Kyle Lafferty yesterday received the player of the round award for his fourth-round hat-trick against Dunfermline in the CIS Insurance Cup.

The holders progressed thanks to a 7-2 win at Ibrox, with Lafferty grabbing the second, fourth and sixth goals of a high-scoring night. It was Lafferty's first hat-trick in professional football, and he said: "The last time I scored three goals in a game was when I was playing boys club football in Northern Ireland so I'm delighted.

"I wasn't expecting a game with nine goals in it as Dunfermline are going well in the First Division, but it was a great result for us.

"My third goal was my favourite that night as it was a great team goal, involving a number of players in our team. I played a one-two with Steven Naismith and then got in to finish it off."

Lafferty missed out against St Mirren in the final of last season's competition, when nine-man Rangers secured a dramatic win, and the former Burnley front man is determined to complete his collection of domestic honours this season - and give manager Walter Smith a fitting retiral present. Smith looks set to resist all pleas to remain put in the Ibrox hotseat beyond the end of this season and Lafferty said: "If Walter Smith is to retire at the end of this season we will be aiming to make sure that he goes with a domestic treble behind him.

"From a personal point of view I missed out on last season's final in this competition so I want to pick up that missing medal."