Rangers put pressure on their title rivals by moving top of the Scottish Premiership for the first time in over two years with a patchy 4-2 win over Dundee United at Ibrox.

Striker Ryan Naderi opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a close-range finish before defender Dujon Sterling added a second four minutes from the interval with his first league goal for Rangers.

United forward Amar Fatah reduced the deficit with a strike just before half-time, but Thelo Aasgaard restored the Light Blues' two-goal advantage in the 52nd minute.

Substitute Zach Sapsford returned the nerves to the Ibrox stands with a goal in the 72nd minute for the away side, only for Bojan Miovski to come off the bench and settle the game with a deflected strike with five minutes of normal time remaining.

It was a far from perfect performance, but Danny Rohl's side moved ahead of Hearts on goal difference with six fixtures remaining, albeit the Jambos have the chance to go back to the top when they travel to Livingston on Sunday.

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Third-placed Celtic, five points behind their Old Firm rivals, face Dundee at Dens Park later the same day.

It was an incident-packed afternoon on a dull Govan day.

The home side should have taken the lead in the third minute, but unmarked Naderi headed a Mikey Moore cross wide from 12 yards then Aasgaard's free-kick from 25 yards was punched to safety by United goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer.

Gers fans became increasingly agitated and raged when Neil Farrugia easily ran clear on to a Luca Stephenson pass and inexplicably passed straight into the arms of home keeper Jack Butland.

Moments later, Aasgaard's drive from 30 yards was parried into the air by Maynard-Brewer and Naderi followed up to knock the ball into the net as the visiting defence watched on.

Aasgaard was too slow to react to a Moore pass when Maynard-Brewer had rushed from his line and the danger was cleared by Iurie Iovu.

However, the second goal came from an Aasgaard cross from the left, which was knocked goalwards by Andreas Skov Olsen and Sterling redirecting on target, with the ball hitting Iovu on the way in.

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Rangers were punished for dropping their guard before the break, Emmanuel Agyei broke with purpose and supplied Fatah who stepped inside John Souttar and curled the ball past Butland.

Djeidi Gassama and Youssef Chermiti replaced Skov Olsen and Naderi for the start of the second half and the latter soon had a shot blocked by Maynard-Brewer.

Moore then hammered a drive at the chest of the United keeper, but the hosts kept up the pressure and Gassama's cut back was converted by Aasgaard from two yards out.

Butland saved an effort from Max Watters as the Tangerines once again broke with pace before Maynard-Brewer had to go off with an injury, replaced by David Richards, who soon saved from Chermiti after he had been set up by Gassama.

Sapsford cut Rangers' lead when he converted a pass from Stephenson, and there was more drama when Iovu sent a header against Butland's post.

However, the home side raced away on the counter and Miovski fired in from the edge of the box with the help of a deflection late on as their fans could finally relax.