Highlights - Aberdeen v Rangers

By Clive Lindsay

Kenny Miller scored twice as Rangers came from two goals down to beat Aberdeen and go top of the table.

Scott Vernon fired in from 16 yards to give the Dons a 10th-minute lead.

Chris Maguire turned in the second from close range, but Miller pulled one back from the penalty spot and blasted in the equaliser after the break.

Nikica Jelavic rolled in the third for Rangers before Aberdeen forward Chris Maguire was sent off for a second yellow card after 86 minutes.

Rangers' first victory in the Granite City since Walter Smith returned to Ibrox as manager three years ago meant that his side edge ahead of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premier League thanks to a superior scoring count.

And top scorer Miller took his tally to 10 goals in six league games after returning to the starting line-up in place of Kyle Lafferty despite the Northern Ireland international's hat-trick in the 7-2 Co-operative Insurance Cup demolition of Dunfermline.

The Dons were delighted after going 2-0 ahead against the champions

Smith restored five other first-team regulars, but it was the changes made by opposite number Mark McGhee that proved significant in the early stages.

Aberdeen were rewarded for a more adventurous system than had been expected, with Rory McArdle playing in midfield in place of the injured Paul Hartley instead of joining the recalled Nikola Vujadinovic as part of a five-man defence.

Maguire's lovely through ball allowed Vernon to beat the offside trap and the in-form striker fired low past advancing goalkeeper Allan McGregor from 16 yards and into the far corner.

Rangers looked shaken and they were making little impression on Aberdeen until Steven Naismith manufactured a chance with which he ought to have restored parity.

The Scotland forward played a one-two with Jelavic that took him behind the Dons defence, but Naismith's shot on the half volley from 12 yards squirmed across the face of goal.

Aberdeen swept up to the other end and immediately went further ahead when Whittaker allowed Darren Mackie, who had started ahead of young striker Mitchel Megginson, the freedom to cross into the six-yard box, where Maguire nipped in front of Davie Weir to prod the ball home after 30 minutes.

Whittaker signalled to the bench that he had not recovered from an earlier clash of heads with team-mate Weir. But, within four minutes and while Kirk Broadfoot was waiting to come on as a replacement, Rangers pulled a goal back.

Vladimir Weiss weaved his way into the penalty box and, after he was tripped by Jerel Ifil, defender Zander Diamond was booked for aggressively accusing the winger of diving and Naismith was shown yellow for his role in the melee that formed around referee Willie Collum.

Miller kept cool amid the heated exchange to despatch the resulting 34th-minute penalty past Langfield.

It was the Scotland striker who struck again six minutes after the break when Naismith broke clear, slipped the ball through to Steven Davis and the midfielder's cross to the back post was fired high into the net by Miller from 12 yards.

Having looked all at sea in the first half, Rangers were now on a crest of a wave and a curling Jelavic drive from the edge of the box struck the outside of the post.

The comeback was complete when a Lee McCulloch flick over the advancing Dons defence put Naismith clear and the forward unselfishly rolled the ball into the path of Jelavic to place the ball into the unguarded net.

Maguire sent a powerful drive just wide of Rangers' far post and Aberdeen pressed for an equaliser despite his subsequent departure, but the reigning champions held on to win a typically exciting and enthralling Pittodrie encounter between these two old rivals.

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