MARK WARBURTON hailed Ibrox goal hero Harry Forrester as he fired Rangers 14 points clear at the top of the Championship.

The Light Blues are now within touching distance of the second tier crown after goals in either half from Forrester and Lee Wallace clinched a comfortable 2-0 win over Raith Rovers.

Forrester was the Gers’ saviour on Saturday as he netted the only goal of the game against St Mirren to keep Warburton’s side on course for title glory.

The midfielder is out of contract in the summer but has done his chances of an extension no harm in recent weeks as he has impressed when given a chance to prove his worth for the league leaders.

Warburton said: “Harry was really good tonight. He’s got nothing to prove to David Weir and myself.

“The pleasing thing tonight was that the fans could see how good he can be.

“He is a technically gifted player, a street player. He plays off the cuff with loads of ability. He had been trying too hard to impress but the goal last Saturday helped him and tonight he showed he has loads of ability.

“He can play left, right, shadow striker or through the middle. He is desperate to do well.

“We need guys like that because we are really tight on numbers. Young Liam Burt got on tonight, he has been doing really well for the under-17s and under-20s.

“So hopefully the message goes out that if you do well in the academy, you’ll get your chance.

“When you sign a player, it’s a big decision. You have to make sure it’s right for all parties. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, I’m sure things will work out well.

“We have to look at the make-up of the squad and what our targets are going to be.

“First and foremost, never make assumptions. We have to do what we need to this season. The quicker we achieve our targets, the quicker we can make decisions.”