GLASGOW (AFP) - Walter Smith has refused to blame a hangover from Rangers' Champions League exploits for his side's failure to return to the top of the Scottish Premier League.

Unbeaten Hibs took advantage of a jaded Gers display to claim a 1-0 win at Ibrox on Saturday, leapfrogging both their hosts and Celtic in the process.

But Smith insisted the defeat was not the result of fatigue, four days after his squad pulled off a sensational 3-0 win in Lyon.

"I felt the game was really even," the former Scotland boss said. "In the the end we didn't really create enough throughout the match.

"I don't think it had anything to do with the midweek match. That's no excuse. If it is an excuse then we've got four more defeats still to take!

"Give Hibs a little bit of credit. They weren't coming here to roll over and so it's up to us to be better in terms of chance creation."

Hibs have now completed a double over Celtic and Rangers this season but their manager, John Collins, was refusing to read too much into his side's unexpectedly elevated position.

"The lads have done ever so well but the one thing you don't do in football is get carried away," the former Fulham, Monaco and Scotland midfielder declared. "If you get carried away, you get knocked straight back down to earth."

Hibs' achievement is all the more remarkable for the fact that they have lost four key players to the Old Firm in the last year -- Kevin Thomson, Ian Murray and Steven Whittaker are all on the books at Ibrox while Scott Brown joined Celtic in the summer.

"We got players from the Second Division in Norway, the Third Division in France, Millwall didn't want some of them - the list is endless," Collins said.

"But, when we look at players, we don't look at their past. The past doesn't count, it's what they can do in the future."

The decisive moment in a match painfully devoid of goalmouth action came just after the hour mark.

Felipe Morais swung in a corner and defender David Murphy rose above the home side's defence to head the ball past Allan McGregor in the Rangers goal.

Rangers managed to rouse themselves from their torpor for a late onslaught which should have yielded an equaliser when Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar headed wide from Charlie Adam's free-kick.

Rangers had enjoyed marginally the better of a listless opening half in which Adam, restored to the side at the expense of Lee McCulloch, squandered a couple of good chances to give them the lead.

The win sent Hibs two points clear at the top of the table but Celtic had the chance to relaim the lead with victory at bottom side Gretna on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Hearts made it a good day for both Edinburgh sides with a 4-2 win against Falkirk at Tynecastle.

Goals from Audrius Ksanavicius, Marius Zaliukas, Andrius Velicka and substitute Christian Nade put Hearts on cruise control before late strikes Graham Barrett and Pedro Moutinho put a more flattering gloss on the scoreline for Falkirk.

Dundee United were indebted to a Darren Dods header 12 minutes from time for their 1-0 over Motherwell at Tannadice, keeping their fifth clean sheet in the process.

Inverness twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at Kilmarnock. Aime Koudou's opener for Killie was cancelled out by Simon Ford heading into his own net and Don Cowie's free-kick secured a point after Colin Nish had restored the home side's lead.