Filip Helander shrugged off his marker as he headed Rangers into a 2-0 lead
Rangers celebrated Steven Gerrard's 150th game as manager by stretching their Scottish Premiership lead to 23 points after thumping Ross County.
Poor marking allowed Ryan Kent and Filip Helander to head the home side into a healthy lead before Joe Aribo's fine finish before half-time.
Ryan Jack scored his return from injury before Connor Goldson's headed finish.
They could even afford a missed penalty from James Tavernier as they remain unbeaten in the league this season.
County struck woodwork twice after the break, but by then Rangers were well on their way to their ninth win in a row over the side who remain third bottom of the table.
- Reaction & as it happened
John Hughes' side had arrived buoyed by last week's 4-1 thumping of Aberdeen, but they never looked in danger of spoiling the occasion for Gerrard as he became the fastest-ever Rangers manager to reach his 150th game in charge - his 926 days beating Dick Advocaat by 24 hours.
By bravely handing 17-year-old Leo Hjelde - signed on loan from Celtic 24 hours earlier - his debut and dropping winger Regan Charles-Cooke and forward Jermaine Hylton, Hughes had signalled his intent to keep it tight.
County's high press did manage to trouble Rangers - but only for the six minutes it took for the hosts to score with their first foray into the Highlanders' box.
Hjelde was too late on the scene as Kent looped in a finish after being found unmarked by Alfredo Morelos' header across the face of goal.
Top scorer Tavernier blotted his copybook by having a weak spot kick saved by Ross Laidlaw, although justice was probably done as Morelos looked to be fouled outside the area.
Rangers remained relentless and Kent fired a low effort against a post before Helander shrugged off his marker to rise in space and head home a Borna Barisic corner.
The defending was similarly poor as Aribo sidestepped Charlie Lakin and Iain Vigurs before a sublime curling finish.
County started the second half with plenty of purpose and midfielder Harry Paton sent a low drive off the inside of a post and centre-half Alex Iacovitti should have done better than loop a header off the bar when found unmarked at a free-kick.
Gerrard responded with a clutch of substitutions and one of the replacements, Jack, fired low past Laidlaw before Goldson rounded off the scoring with a stooping header from a corner.
It was perhaps a fitting flourish considering the centre-half has featured in 142 of Gerrard's games in charge.
Man of the match - Ryan Kent It was an all-round team performance from Rangers, but winger Ryan Kent did more than most with a goal and another strike against the postWhat did we learn?
If reigning champions Celtic were hoping that last weekend's draw with Motherwell, which ended a run of six straight wins, would knock Rangers out of their stride, they were sadly disappointed.
Neil Lennon, whose second-top side are without a fixture this weekend because of the League Cup semi-finals, will have found little grounds for renewed optimism about securing a 10th consecutive title from an efficient performance with few signs of the post-New Year stumbles suffered by Gerrard's side in the last two seasons.
County came into the game after a mini-revival, having only lost once in four games, but former Celtic centre-half Hughes will consider this dismantling of his experimental defence in isolation.
Especially so considering Dingwall men have never beaten Rangers in 15 meetings and now have failed to score in their last six meetings.
What's next?
Rangers next travel to Edinburgh to face fourth-top Hibernian on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), when County also host Motherwell.
Player of the match
KentRyan Kent
with an average of 8.24
-
RangersRangersRangers
Ross CountyRoss CountyRoss County
Rangers
Avg
Squad number14Player nameKent
Average rating
8.24
Squad number8Player nameJack
Average rating
8.22
Squad number31Player nameBarisic
Average rating
7.92
Squad number10Player nameDavis
Average rating
7.92
Squad number17Player nameAribo
Average rating
7.91
Squad number5Player nameHelander
Average rating
7.88
Squad number7Player nameHagi
Average rating
7.87
Squad number6Player nameGoldson
Average rating
7.78
Squad number16Player namePatterson
Average rating
7.77
Squad number9Player nameDefoe
Average rating
7.65
Squad number11Player nameItten
Average rating
7.64
Squad number18Player nameKamara
Average rating
7.59
Squad number2Player nameTavernier
Average rating
7.51
Squad number20Player nameMorelos
Average rating
7.49
Squad number1Player nameMcGregor
Average rating
7.42
Squad number15Player nameZungu
Average rating
7.42
Ross County
Avg
Squad number8Player nameShaw
Average rating
5.31
Squad number1Player nameLaidlaw
Average rating
5.25
Squad number23Player nameNaismith
Average rating
5.11
Squad number19Player nameLakin
Average rating
5.10
Squad number4Player nameHjelde
Average rating
5.02
Squad number5Player nameMorris
Average rating
5.02
Squad number24Player namePaton
Average rating
5.02
Squad number6Player nameDraper
Average rating
4.99
Squad number11Player nameVigurs
Average rating
4.95
Squad number22Player nameTillson
Average rating
4.92
Squad number14Player nameHylton
Average rating
4.92
Squad number15Player nameWatson
Average rating
4.90
Squad number2Player nameRandall
Average rating
4.87
Squad number16Player nameIacovitti
Average rating
4.76
Squad number28Player nameAndreu
Average rating
4.76
Squad number17Player nameCharles-Cook
Average rating
4.74
-
Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Rangers
Formation 4-2-3-1
1McGregor
2Tavernier6Goldson5Helander31Barisic
10Davis18Kamara
7Hagi17Aribo14Kent
20Morelos
1McGregor
2TavernierSubstituted forPattersonat 70'minutes
6Goldson
5Helander
31Barisic
10DavisSubstituted forJackat 61'minutes
18KamaraSubstituted forZunguat 61'minutesBooked at 76mins
7Hagi
17AriboSubstituted forIttenat 62'minutes
14Kent
20MorelosSubstituted forDefoeat 62'minutes
Substitutes
3Bassey
8Jack
9Defoe
11Itten
15Zungu
16Patterson
25Roofe
26Balogun
33McLaughlin
Ross County
Formation 3-5-2
1Laidlaw
5Morris16Iacovitti4Hjelde
23Naismith6Draper11Vigurs19Lakin2Randall
24Paton8Shaw
1Laidlaw
5Morris
16IacovittiBooked at 13mins
4HjeldeBooked at 64mins
23Naismith
6DraperSubstituted forTillsonat 71'minutes
11VigursSubstituted forAndreuat 70'minutes
19LakinSubstituted forCharles-Cookat 59'minutes
2RandallSubstituted forWatsonat 53'minutes
24PatonSubstituted forHyltonat 59'minutes
8Shaw
Substitutes
7Gardyne
9Mckay
14Hylton
15Watson
17Charles-Cook
22Tillson
25Donaldson
28Andreu
31Munro
Referee: Euan Anderson
Match Stats
Home TeamRangersAway TeamRoss County
Possession
Home70%
Away30%
Shots
Home28
Away7
Shots on Target
Home11
Away2
Corners
Home11
Away2
Fouls
Home12
Away11
Live Text
Post update
Match ends, Rangers 5, Ross County 0.
90'+3'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Rangers 5, Ross County 0.
87'
Post update
Attempt missed. Ianis Hagi (Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Borna Barisic.
85'
Post update
Foul by Cedric Itten (Rangers).
85'
Post update
Tony Andreu (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
84'
Post update
Foul by Connor Goldson (Rangers).
84'
Post update
Oli Shaw (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
81' goal
Goal!
Goal! Rangers 5, Ross County 0. Connor Goldson (Rangers) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Borna Barisic with a cross following a corner.
81'
Post update
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Keith Watson.
81'
Post update
Attempt missed. Cedric Itten (Rangers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Nathan Patterson with a cross.
80'
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ryan Kent (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cedric Itten.
79'
Post update
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Ross Laidlaw.
79'
Post update
Attempt saved. Ryan Jack (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Nathan Patterson.
78'
Post update
Jermain Defoe (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
78'
Post update
Foul by Jordan Tillson (Ross County).
78'
Post update
Borna Barisic (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
78'
Post update
Foul by Regan Charles-Cook (Ross County).
77'
Post update
Foul by Bongani Zungu (Rangers).
77'
Post update
Regan Charles-Cook (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
76'
Booking
Bongani Zungu (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Source: bbc.com