LEE McCULLOCH hopes Rangers can use the festive period as a springboard to title glory.

The Gers head to Links Park tomorrow to face promotion rivals Montrose as they continue a crucial run of December fixtures that will also see them travel to Elgin and Queen's Park, and host Annan Athletic and Clyde at Ibrox before the end of the year.

Ally McCoist's side are just one point ahead of their Borough Briggs counterparts, who face Queen's Park tomorrow.

They do have two games in hand, however, and skipper McCulloch is keen for the Light Blues to keep their foot to the floor and pull away from the chasing pack.

He said: "We have seven games in December and it will be a very important time for us. Hopefully we can get everybody fit in the next couple of weeks and go and have a right good hit at it.

"We want to get as many points on the board as possible. If we can do that then, by the turn of the year, we could be sitting in a really good position at the top of the league. It would take a bit of the pressure of us."

While clubs across the country have seen their training schedules and fixture lists thrown into chaos by the big freeze, Rangers have yet to suffer at the hands of Mother Nature.

A number of SFL fixtures have been called off in recent days, but there are currently no fears over their Montrose clash tomorrow lunchtime.

With two fixtures at Ibrox and a trip to Hampden on the horizon, conditions would need to reach severe levels for Rangers to be affected by wintry weather and, while their Third Division rivals could see their preparations upset, McCulloch knows McCoist's side must make the most of their top-class facilities.

He said: "If you look at the weather, it is hard to get training anywhere. We are lucky we have the undersoil heating at Murray Park. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage."