Mark Warburton pleased by Rangers' vastly-improved second half against Dumbarton

The Gers dressing room was active at the interval after an uninspiring, goalless first half and less than two minutes into the second half - which had been delayed as some home fans were relocated due to a safety issue - midfielder Jason Holt opened the scoring with a header, before striker Martyn Waghorn hammered in number two on the hour-mark.

The home side took further advantage of their game in hand when substitute Nathan Oduwa, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, added a third in the 80th minute.

Andy Halliday hammered in a penalty after Dumbarton defender Steven Saunders was given a straight red card by referee Crawford Allan for denying Gers skipper Lee Wallace a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity.

"We had a few words as a group (at half-time) because in the first half, despite lots of possession, we weren't good enough," Rangers boss Warburton said.

"We were loose, took too many touches, didn't move it quickly enough and didn't show the quality that we have to demand from a group day in, day out.

"So we had the words, came out and Jason Holt used the term 'night and day' and I think he was pretty accurate with that.

"In the second half we were excellent. We created chance after chance, got the four goals and could have got more.

"It is very pleasing. Davie (Weir, assistant manager) and I want the group to demand from themselves and solve problems on the pitch.

"We should have realised after 20, 25 minutes what we needed to do, but you won't find a more honest and hard-working group and the quality is evident - you saw that in the second half."

Warburton was asked again about the vacant managerial post at Sky Bet Championship club Fulham, to which he has been linked.

"I can't keep saying it," he said.

"I am the manager of Rangers Football Club. We have developed staff, brought staff in and we are in the middle of a project so I can't keep answering the same question."

Sons boss Stephen Aitken praised his players for their efforts, saying: "Ultimately the big difference between the full-time and part-time showed.

"It's not easy with most of the guys working, doing 10-hour shifts today.

"I can't fault my players for effort. They gave everything they had and put that much into the first half that, unfortunately, they tired in the second half."

The start to the second half was delayed for the best part of 10 minutes as some fans were moved from the bottom half of the Sandy Jardine Stand to the family stand due to "fabric" issues.

A spokesman for Rangers said: "Some fans in the Sandy Jardine Stand, section GF4, were relocated to the Broomloan Stand as a precautionary measure when safety staff at the stadium identified a loose piece of roofing fabric."