JAMES TAVERNIER admits Rangers have no margin for error when they host top of the table Hearts this weekend.

Steven Gerrard’s side are sixth in the Premiership standings and eight points adrift of the Jambos following their shock 1-0 defeat to Livingston on Sunday.

Dolly Menga hit the only goal of the game at the Tony Macaroni Arena as Gerrard suffered his second defeat as Light Blues boss.

And captain Tavernier knows Rangers must react in the right way as they prepare for a huge meeting with Craig Levein’s side at Ibrox.

He said: “We have to play Hearts this weekend. That is the next league game and if we take the three points then we move closer.

“We can only look at it game-by-game rather than looking deep into the fixtures. We have the Europa League on Thursday and we will be looking for a positive result in that then we have to look about taking maximum points off Hearts.

“There shouldn’t be a margin of error in any game. We should be looking to be going into every game to win it.

“It is a long season and we know if we can beat Hearts we will be closer to them. We just need to try and win every game and try to catch the teams at the top.

“It was a disappointing result. If we had won we would have continued our run but we ended up not scoring and then conceding from a set piece.

“These things can’t keep occurring. Rangers need to be a team that create chances in every single game that gives us the option to try and win games.”

Defeat to Livingston means Rangers are still without an away win this term following their draws with Aberdeen and Motherwell and Old Firm loss at Parkhead.

The Gers haven’t collected all three points on the road since seeing off St Johnstone in February and Tavernier was frustrated with another poor performance and result on their travels.

He said: “It was a disappointing performance and we have dropped three points. You look at the three points we dropped against certain teams last season then these are the games where you need to win. On Sunday we just weren’t good enough in the final third.

“I wouldn’t say there’s an issue [away from home]. We got a positive result away to Villarreal and we were unlucky not to win it out there.

“Aberdeen was an unfortunate one because they conceded right at the end with 10 men.

“I don’t think the issue is playing away. I think the issues on Sunday were that we weren’t clinical in the final third, we didn’t create enough and we didn’t test the keeper enough.”