Liverpool's slowly increasing pressure paid off just after the break, when Johnson mis-hit a shot over to Gerrard on the left, and he turned Bowyer inside out to curl a fine shot inside the far post.
Soon after, the big striker attempted a left-foot shot that did not have enough curl to trouble the Rangers goal, then Hamilton enjoyed an increasingly rare foray into the home side's half, with Imrie the man who attempted a shot on goal.