There's no way you can call us negative, says Miller

"There's no way you can say that when you look at the team we have got and the goals that we are scoring," said Rangers striker Kenny Miller. "All you have to do is look at the month of December (when they never failed to score less than three goals in each domestic match and totalled 26 goals in six games] and that is far from a negative team. We are a good football team but sometimes conditions make it hard to play and the teams you are up against make it hard to play but to say Rangers are a negative football team is laughable to be honest."

While Miller netted the second of Rangers' goals, he was outdone by team-mate Steven Naismith, who delighted manager Walter Smith by getting back to scoring ways after a barren few months and spells on the sidelines injured. "His first goal was important because it gave us some breathing space," said Smith. "When you come to Tynecastle you are always hoping to get daylight between yourselves and Hearts because you know they will keep going."

Smith also revealed that he hoped 18-year-old Danny Wilson, who scored his first goal for the club to ensure that a week which had begun with a sending off in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final ended on a high, would sign a new contract in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Hearts manager Jim Jefferies said defensive slackness by his team had contributed to most of the Rangers goals, undermining the good work which was done outfield.

"We beat ourselves. Look at the outfield play, that didn't merit a 4-1 but our mistakes meant that it was a 4-1 because Rangers will always punish you."