WITH so long to wait until their match against Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday week, much if not all of the momentum that Rangers have built up during the past fortnight will be lost.

The Ibrox club have responded well to the 2-2 draw they were held to by Hibernian at Easter Road last month by winning all four of their subsequent matches.

Willem II, Motherwell and Galatasaray have all been overcome and overcome comfortably in both the Premiership and Europa League.

The performance in the 2-0 victory over Ross County yesterday was the least impressive of their recent run. But their profligacy up front made it a far more nervous afternoon than it really should have been. They spurned a raft of scoring opportunities. And the end result was ultimately the desired one.

How Steven Gerrard, whose charges have scored 13 goals and conceded just two since their slip-up in the capital, must wish the meeting with Neil Lennon’s men was this weekend.

He would be quietly confident of Rangers, deserved 2-1 victors at Celtic Park back in December, recording their second consecutive win at the home of their city rivals if it was.

The international break has come at the worst possible time for a side who remain a point clear at the top of the league table courtesy of their latest triumph.

That said, James Tavernier, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first-half yesterday after Callum Morris had barged over Alfredo Morelos inside his own area to take his tally to eight in as many games, and his team mates will fancy their chances going into their next competitive outing given their recent form.

Gary McAllister, the Rangers assistant, acknowledged the Ibrox club were far from at their best following the final whistle. But he knows that sometimes during the course of a league campaign picking up the three points is all that matters. He was satisfied that they achieved their objective.

“I think we can do better,” he said. “That’s pretty obvious. We were a wee bit bitty, we didn’t get into any rhythm. Ross County came and made it difficult, got bodies behind the ball. But the result was very good. We’re still unbeaten. So we are pleased with the result. I thought, performance-wise, the second half was better. After the messaging at half-time, we did better.”

With so many Rangers players involved in the Euro 2020 play-off games, Nations League matches and other international fixtures around the world in the coming days there is a very real danger that some of those responsible for their four game winning streak will be unavailable for the Celtic match.

But if Steven Davis, Glen Kamara or Alfredo Morelos are sidelined Gerrard has decent alternatives. Filip Helander was absent from the squad yesterday and Leon Balogun slotted in alongside Connor Goldson and helped the team to keep a clean sheet.

County didn’t look like a team which had won just once in seven games at times. They certainly counter attacked in numbers in the first-half. Ross Stewart, their rangy and physical striker, seemed capable of engineering an opening of netting for the visitors whenever he received possession. He is a handful for opposition defences.

Still, Rangers should really have been further ahead at half-time. Morelos had a powerful low shot saved by Ross Laidlaw, Goldson headed a Borna Barisic corner over the crossbar and Ryan Kent had a goal-bound attempt deflected wide.

Their fortunes in the final third didn’t improve in the second-half. Morelos got on the end of a Tavernier cut back only for Coll Donaldson to slide in and deny him brilliantly and then missed a chance he really should have buried. Balogun, too, also had an effort tipped over by Laidlaw.

Perhaps their exertions in their play-off triumph on Thursday night had taken a toll. But McAllister admitted Rangers will, with Europa League group games coming up against Benfica, Standard Liege and Lech Poznan, need to ensure there is no dip in standards in future.

“It (Galatasaray) was a big game, a pressurised game,” he said. “But moving forward, we have more big games. That is the demand of being here.

“We want to be in the Europa League, we want to do well in it. So the facts are we have to produce performances Thursday-Sunday-Thursday-Sunday for quite a big period when we come back after the international break.”

Barisic injured himself blocking a Regan Charles-Cook cross and was, despite playing on briefly, replaced by Bassey. Elsewhere, Ryan Jack made way for Ianis Hagi and Brandon Barker took over from Jordan Jones.

County could have levelled with 10 minutes of regulation time remaining when Donaldson rose above Goldson and Balogun and nodded a Josh Reid free-kick just over. He held his head in his hands and his wails of anguish were audible inside the empty stadium. Davis was brought on for Kent shortly afterwards.

Barker, who made his return from a three week lay-off, made sure of another three points with a fine individual goal, only his second for Rangers, on his 24th birthday after being supplied by Hagi in the 88th minute. He cut inside two players and drilled beyond Laidlaw.