BIRTHDAY boy Kris Boyd bagged a celebratory hat-trick as Rangers battered Clyde 8-1 tonight at Ibrox.

Five goals to the good by half-time, Ally McCoist's men were posed few problems by Barry Ferguson's Bully Wee as they progressed safely into the Petrofac Training Cup third round.

Lewis Macleod and Lee McCulloch also netted a brace, while Fraser Aird rounded off the scoring on a rampant night for the Govan club in front of a modest 11,190 crowd.

It took only 16 minutes for the home side to open the scoring. Nicky Clark broke away after a Clyde attack broke down on the edge of the Rangers box, with Boyd peeling away from his man on the right to slot his team-mate's through ball under Jamie Barclay.

Within eight minutes it was two, this time it was Aird who provided the finishing touch, directing a clever Lee Wallace cutback towards goal which Barclay could only fumble over the line.

Clark was to turn provider again for Boyd on 33 minutes. A surging run into the box from Macleod culminated in a zipped pass into the area. Boyd dummied the ball to spin away, only to slot calmly into the net when it eventually reached him via Clark.

McCulloch and Macleod would both add scores from outside the area before half-time, with the latter's effort a truly sumptuous bending right-foot shot into the far corner from 25 yards on 45 minutes.

The surge for goals continued in the second half with Aird and Nicky Law - who struck the post with a fine chip from the edge of the area - enjoying success down the flanks.

But Rangers were not to be denied their sixth with Macleod grabbing his second of the evening, finishing low after being played in by a Dean Shiels pass.

Captain McCulloch made it seven soon after, his fizzing drive rifling into the top corner with 13 minutes remaining.

However it was left to Boyd, celebrating his 31st birthday, to top off a fine night for McCoist's men, twisting and turning inside the box before slotting low into the net for eight, with even Kevin Watt's consolation on 90 minutes for Clyde doing little to put a dampener on the celebrations.