Doubles for Kris Boyd and Dado Prso handed Rangers a 4-1 win at home to bottom of the table Livingston.
Despite the emphatic scoreline the visitors had made life difficult for Alex McLeish's side and had briefly levelled the game through Hungarian Gabor Vincze in the second-half.
However, Boyd added to his goal in the first-half and Croatian striker Prso came off the substitute's bench to score a late brace to keep the Ibrox side one point behind third-placed Hibernian.
Rangers had started the game brightly and took the lead in the eighth minute. A Peter Lovenkrands' shot from 20-yards struck the back of Livingston's Belgian defender Harald Pinxton and Boyd raced on to the loose ball to rifle it into the top corner of the net from 10-yards in his first SPL game for the Ibrox club.
Though Rangers were in complete command of the match they were struggling to create many scoring opportunities and by the half-time break they only had the one goal to show for their superiority.
In the 52nd minute they were punished for failing to make their dominance count when Livingston drew level. Vincze collected the ball 25-yards from goal and as the Rangers defenders backed off he advanced through on Dutch keeper Ronald Waterreus before blasting it high into the net from 12 yards.
The goal seemed to spur Rangers into action, however, and within four minutes they regained their lead. Belgian international Buffel played a neat pass to the feet of Boyd and he controlled the ball before poking it low into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Prso replaced Danish forward Lovenkrands in the 63rd minute to make his first team comeback after injuring his hamstring against Celtic in November, and Spanish forward Nacho Novo came on for Boyd in the 79th minute as Rangers looked to tie-up all three points.
In the 89th minute Prso did secure the win when he blasted a free-kick from 20-yards past Livy keeper Roderick McKenzie.
And a minute later the Croatian striker ran on to a long ball, which had been flicked on by Novo, and powerfully drove the ball past McKenzie to complete the scoring.
In the other SPL matches Hearts' title hopes suffered a major blow when they lost 1-0 away to Kilmarnock, meaning they remain seven points behind leaders Celtic before their game away to Motherwell on Sunday.
Killie's Australian midfielder Danny Invincibile scored the only goal of the match in the second-half.
Dundee United and Aberdeen fought out a 1-1 draw at Tannadice. The Dons had opened the scoring through Darren Mackie in the second-half but United made it all square through Alan Archibald to ensure Craig Brewster avoided defeat in his first game as manager.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle were comfortable 4-1 winners away to Falkirk. Barry Wilson had put the visitors ahead in the third minute but Craig Ireland equalised in the 11th minute.
However, Dennis Wyness restored Caley's lead and Craig Dargo scored a third before the break before Ross Tokely completed the rout with another goal in the second-half.
Hibernian won 3-1 at home to Dunfermline to stay in third place a point ahead of Rangers. Derek Riordan put the Edinburgh side ahead in the 17th minute but Simon Donnelly levelled things in the 35th minute.
However Riordan scored his second in the 71st minute and Stephen Fletcher scored a late third to complete the scoring.
