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Rangers thrashed Motherwell 4-0 at Ibrox thanks to a 10-minute goal spree either side of half-time.

Mikel Arteta opened the scoring from a free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Then, after the re-start, substitute Maurice Ross, Hamed Namouchi and Steven Thompson all helped themselves to quick-fire additions.

Mikel Arteta marked his return to action following injury with a free-kick opener that gave Rangers a 45th-minute lead against Motherwell at Ibrox.

Arteta returned to the Rangers starting line-up following a knee injury and there were also starts for young forward Hamed Namouchi and utility man Paolo Vanoli.

But perhaps the most significant returnee was goalkeeper Stefan Klos, who needs match practice before next week's Old Firm derby at Parkhead.

Allan McGregor had played the previous two games but found himself on the bench alongside two youngsters who were hoping for debuts - 17-year-old striker Ross McCormack and 18-year-old defender Gary McKenzie.

Motherwell veteran Gordon Marshall replaced Barry-John Corr in goal and youngsters Shaun Fagan and David Clarkson were restored to the starting line-up, with the latter having marked his Scotland Under-21 debut in midweek with a goal.

Frank de Boer was handed the captain's armband to mark his 500th competitive match.

Chris Burke did well to beat his man down the right and reach the box. But no team-mate had anticipated his cutback from the by-line into the danger zone and Paul Quinn was able to clear.

At the other end, Klos had to come off his line smartly to gather at the feet of Steven Craig.

Burke's next cross almost led to the opening goal as he picked out Steven Thompson at the back post. But the striker, having jumped higher than two challengers, headed narrowly wide.

Motherwell were also pressing, with Clarkson looking especially sharp, and Zura Khizanishvili had to get to a cross from the teenager ahead of Craig to avert danger.

Namouchi robbed Alex Burns in the Rangers half to feed Burke and it took an intervention from Martyn Corrigan to stop the French-Tunisian from getting on the end of the cross.

Namouchi then sent Fernando Ricksen charging through with another excellent pass but the Dutchman annoyed the home fans by checking his run and holding the ball up.

Eventually he picked out Burke on the right and the winger sent a drive into Marshall's midriff from a tight angle.

Namouchi then fired well over from distance after a Burke run ended up in a dead end of defenders.

Burke then beat men with his close control to win a corner that de Boer hooked well over from eight yards out at the near post.

There was a bizarre moment in the 27th minute when Marshall mis-kicked wildly trying to clear a pass back and, once the ball came down, Namouchi volleyed it instinctively towards goal, where the veteran was bale to get in the way to redeem himself.

Ricksen headed narrowly past the back post, although he did not appear to have known too much about it as a cross from the left had taken a deflection on to his head off Thompson.

Clarkson was hurt in a touchline tangle with Khizanishvili before Burke won another corner.

Craig received a lecture for a late challenge on Alan Hutton in the same spot as the Clarkson incident.

Both players were able to carry on and referee Dougal let play continue when Corrigan appeared to trip Namouchi as the Rangers man set off in pursuit of a through-ball.

Burns sent Craig away down the left but the striker fired into the side-netting instead of squaring the ball to Clarkson for a tap-in.

Referee Dougal had used the advantage rule to allow Well to set up the chance and Ricksen, the perpetrator, was booked for it in the 37th minute, having previously infringed the rules too many times for the official's liking.

Hutton was then booked in the 40th minute for a foul on Clarkson.

Arteta then went on a lung-bursting run with the ball, the like of which has been all too rare at Ibrox this season. But the Spaniard spoiled all his hard work with a hopelessly airborne finish.

Fouls were coming thick and fast now and, when Arteta was felled just outside the box on the left, he made Well pay with a sweetly struck free-kick that Marshall could touch but not prevent from arcing into the top corner.

Rangers made a change at the break, with Maurice Ross coming on for Hutton.

Within two minutes the newcomer had made it 2-0 - although he nearly made a mess of it.

Burke sent him clear down the inside right channel, but with only Marshall to beat he tried to set up Thompson instead.

The striker had been tracked by two defenders - and one, Quinn, was able to get there first. But he succeeded only in giving the ball back to Ross, and with Marshall now stranded the former Scotland man found the net with ease.

Burke then fired narrowly over from inside the box on the right.

Namouchi made it 3-0 in the 51st minute when he accepted a defence-splitting pass from de Boer down the inside-left channel and poked the ball past the exposed Marshall.

It was now becoming a rout, and Thompson made it 4-0 in the 54th minute by glancing a Vanoli cross from the left into the bottom corner of the net.

Ross was hurt in a collision with Craigan, who argued he could not have got out of the way. Arteta's free-kick hit Derek Adams but handball appeals from the crowd went unheeded.

Craig fouled Arteta but Marshall was behind de Boer's free-kick.

Quinn was next in the booked in the 58th minute for a challenge on Ricksen as the foul tally escalated.

In the 62nd minute McCormack was handed his debut when he came on for Arteta, with Namouchi dropping back.

Three minutes later Mackenzie was granted the same milestone when he replaced Namouchi.

Craig was booked in the 67th minute for a challenge that hurt Khizanishvili. Thompson headed wide at the back post from a McCormack cross.

Motherwell were convinced a defender had handled in the box, but referee Dougal waved play on and, at the other end, Ricksen poked a McCormack cross just wide at the back post.

Craig was replaced by Kenny Wright in the 75th minute and, five minutes later, Scott McDonald came on for Jason Dair.

Klos had been a spectator almost all afternoon but denied Clarkson a consolation goal with a fine save after the chance had been set up by McDonald.

McCormack then fired a long-ranger wide at the other end.

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