The result put Rangers seven points ahead of today's opponents in the race for second place and Champions League qualification.

Boyd, who started on the bench for the past two matches, headed an eight-minute opener and finished off the Bank of Scotland Premier League clash as a contest with two more goals in six minutes.

The Dons tightened up but failed to threaten in an uneventful second half which saw Rangers substitute Chris Burke limp off, days after being recalled to the Scotland squad.

Bottom club Dunfermline recorded their first away win of the season by beating Inverness 3-1 to move only six points behind St Mirren.

Markus Paatelainen gave Inverness a first-half lead but Dunfermline roared back into contention quickly after the break thanks to Stephen Glass's well-placed volley.

Jim McIntyre then turned in a deflected cross from Jim O'Brien - who also created the equaliser - while Glass completed the scoring with a penalty before Dunfermline's Tam McManus was sent-off in injury time after clashing with Ian Black.

Dundee United stunned Hearts 4-0 after a second-half goal blitz to ensure manager Craig Levein enjoyed a happy return to Tynecastle.

Captain Barry Robson notched a superb hat-trick while Noel Hunt also got on the scoresheet as United posted a stunning victory, a result Hearts legend Levein could hardly dare dream of.

The resulted dented the hosts' European aspirations and gave the Tayside club their first three points at Hearts for five years.

The only sour point of United's victory was the dismissal of midfielder David Robertson who was given his marching orders along with Hearts defender Ibrahim Tall for squaring up to each other in the first half.