ONE in-demand Rangers forward was notable only for his absence. The other was ultimately the match winner at Ibrox.

Alfredo Morelos was nowhere to be seen on Saturday as Steven Gerrard left the striker out of his side and squad amid ongoing speculation over his future with Rangers and doubts over his frame of mind. There was no such need to banish Ryan Kent to the fringes, though.

The build-up to this game had been dominated by talk of a bid from Leeds United and Gerrard’s determination to fend off interest in one of his most valuable assets. Once the action got underway, Kent did his talking on the park as he netted the second goal in this 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock.

The three points earned were the most important thing to take away from a satisfactory day for boss Gerrard. His side now have their own piece of history, too, have surpassed the achievements of the ‘Iron Curtain’ defence and clinching a record-equalling fifth successive clean sheet at the start of the campaign.

This wasn’t Rangers at their best, but they were more than good enough to see off Killie and this result will certainly raise the mood of a fanbase that had reacted strongly to the performance and result against Livingston last weekend.

The demand for Gerrard to make alterations to his system and his personnel had only intensified as the days had elapsed since the draw at the Tony Macaroni Arena. Those that had called for sweeping changes were disappointed, but there were tweaks to how Rangers set up.

The absence of Morelos from the starting line-up was not a surprise. Time will tell how long he remains part of Gerrard’s squad, but the Ibrox boss had to put his faith in his two forward additions as Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten started for the first time.

Brandon Barker was the beneficiary of the decision to drop Ianis Hagi after a lacklustre start to the campaign, while Steven Davis replaced Glen Kamara as Gerrard sent his side out for a hugely significant 90 minutes.

By the time the halfway stage was reached, there was little to shout about for Rangers. Had a crowd been present inside Ibrox, Gerrard’s side could easily have found themselves heading back down the tunnel with a chorus of boos ringing round the stadium.

The possession that Rangers enjoyed wasn’t put to best use and while chances did arrive every so often, there wasn’t a sustained threat. Keeper Danny Rogers made a string of comfortable saves, and one spectacular one from Ryan Kent, to keep the Light Blues at bay.

Attempts from Kent, Ryan Jack and Barker were dealt with easily by the Killie keeper, while Filip Helander really should have at least tested him as he glanced a header over from a Borna Barisic corner. It was better than last week, but still not great.

Against opposition such as this, and on occasions such as this, Gerrard needs someone to emerge from the pack and be the hero for his side. Just five minutes into the second half, Roofe did just that.

Barisic almost got an assist to his credit when Itten flicked a header across goal and off the far post and the Croatian was soon involved again. The ball was played on the deck this time and Roofe finished well as Rangers had a breakthrough that they deserved on the balance of play.

The goal was merited for Roofe. After a frustrating first half as he found service and chances hard to come by, his movement and neat finish were an insight into what he can bring to the side and Gerrard will hope there is plenty more to come this term.

The game would quickly settle back into a familiar pattern as Rangers controlled large swathes of possession and had to be patient in the search for any chinks in the Kilmarnock armour. Thankfully for Gerrard, the visitors had little about them in the final third and when Kent converted after James Tavernier’s effort was blocked, that was very much that.

After a day of strife at Livingston, this was far more straightforward for Rangers and the kind of afternoon they must have more of this season. Gerrard will know soon just how much of a role two of his most high-profile stars will play in the title race.