Shankland brace propels Rangers up the table

Match in Five Sentences: Rangers beat Falkirk 2-1 at The Falkirk Stadium. Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a left-footed finish from the centre of the box after Djeidi Gassama's assist. An own goal by Kosta Nedeljković brought The Bairns level (44.), before Shankland struck the late winner (79.) from Ross McCrorie's pass. Rangers carried the greater threat with 16 attempts to 12 and 52.3% possession, while Ivor Pandur made five saves. They rise from ninth to fifth in the Scottish Premiership and host Motherwell next, while The Bairns drop to 11th and visit Dundee United next.

Player of the Match: Lawrence Shankland decided it with a brace, firing five attempts and making eight touches in the box to settle the contest.

Stat of the Match: Ivor Pandur produced five saves, providing the platform as Rangers managed the second half.

Three Things We Learned: Ross McCrorie's introduction mattered, supplying the assist for the decisive goal after coming on just before the hour. The Bairns created 12 attempts with five on target, forcing Pandur into key stops after the restart. Rangers out-shot their hosts 16-12 and hit the woodwork through Kim Min-Su, underlining their greater punch.