Rangers manager Ally McCoist spoke of his immense pride in his players after they delivered 90 minutes of respite from the club's financial crisis with a 4-1 victory at Inverness.
Rangers lost at home to Kilmarnock last weekend in their first match since going into administration, but they quickly brushed off the off-field worries as goals from Steven Davis and Sone Aluko put them two ahead. Andrew Little produced a composed finish on his first Premier League start and Lee McCulloch netted after Inverness defender Steve Williams had headed a goal back.
McCoist was hugely satisfied with the reaction of his players, and he said: "I said to the boys before the game that the one thing they needed as much as anything today was a healthy respect for each other to go and play. And they did that. They have been battered, bruised and taken a couple of standing counts but they are certainly not down and far from out."
The build-up to the game was dominated by a sequence of stark revelations about the club's financial affairs and uncertainty over the immediate future of staff at the club, including the players.
McCoist also lost experienced pair Sasa Papac and Lee Wallace to suspension and injury respectively, but Ross Perry and Salim Kerkar proved able deputies with the latter having a hand in three goals.
McCoist added: "I thought the spirit and the willingness to help each other and give the entire club a boost today was really evident.
"Today was about putting a smile back on the faces of everyone involved with the club, be it the travelling support, be it the workforce, be it the coaching staff or the secretaries at Murray Park and Ibrox.
"Today was all about giving the entire club a boost and I'm really proud of the boys because they certainly did that."
Joint administrator Paul Clark is reported to have said there will be job cuts this week, but McCoist remains uncertain about what will happen when a review of staffing is carried out.
So far director of football Gordon Smith and chief operating officer Ali Russell are the only two members of staff to have been told they are losing their jobs.
Source: PA
