Rangers 1 - Queen of the South 1: Rangers still in the doldrums

It may be a new regime at Ibrox led by Dave King, but those fans who came out to herald a new dawn were force-fed more of the same gruel.

Instead of Rangers being enthused by a takeover, the team with the flair and invention were the visitors. 

The Palmerston outfit refused to cave in after losing a 77th-minute goal to Haris Vuckic and struck back four minutes from time with a strike of their own.

Teenage sub Aidan Smith will not forget this match in a long time – the 17-year-old had only been on the park three minutes when he earned his team a precious point in the battle for the play-offs.

For Rangers fans the misery continues. They have now won just three games since Kenny McDowall took charge 10 games ago.

In the last 16 matches they have won just six. It’s dismal reading for a team that lacks quality in every department.

As King boards a plane back to South Africa today he will have plenty to occupy his mind for the duration of the flight.

This might have been the second biggest crowd of the season at Ibrox – the 35,018 beaten only by the attendance for Hearts back in August – but the football does not do justice to the devotion of the support.

The message from Bob Marley and the Wailers over the PA system before kick-off was clear: ‘Don’t worry about a thing....’ But it remains to be seen if everything is going to be alright at Ibrox following the King takeover now that the initial euphoria has died down.

The fans turned out in greater numbers than they have done for months not only to endorse King and his allies, but to witness the return of legend John Greig.

During all the troubles of the last few years, Greig has stayed away.

The Greatest Ever Ranger hasn’t missed much excitement on the park and his assessment of the first half would have been interesting to hear.

For long spells, Queens dominated possession and looked lively in attack. Only the final ball was lacking.

Rangers huffed and puffed and the strikeforce of Jon Daly and Nicky Clark rarely clicked.

The first 45 was in keeping with most games this season – the underdogs proving they were more than a match for their more illustrious rivals.

Rangers did fashion an early chance in three minutes. Clark fed Nicky Law and then covered 40 yards to take the return and fire a first-time shot wide.

The next portion of the game belonged to Queens, who passed the ball around for fun looking for a gap to exploit.

They knew that in Gavin Reilly and Iain Russell they had strikers with the pace to trouble Lee McCulloch and Marius Zaliukas.

Rangers held firm – but only just. Daly missed a snip on 28 minutes when Zander Clark’s save from Vuckic’s deflected shot landed at his feet.

Then it was Rangers’ turn to breathe a sigh of relief – three times before the break.

Reilly’s through ball gave Michael Paton the chance to score, but although the striker beat Lee Robinson his shot cannoned off the post.

Russell then tested Robinson with a low drive and as the ball spun into the air, Reilly’s header flew just over.

Despite the excitement about a fresh start off the park it was the same stodge on show from the Light Blues, and the boos of the fans at half-time told a familiar frustrating story.

There was a bit of hope for Rangers at the start of the second half.

Daly again had a decent chance but his powerful header flew just wide.

Rangers’ play then deteriorated and for long spells it looked as if Queens would find a breakthrough. 

Russell and Danny Carmichael put in a terrific shift up front for the Doonhamers, and their big regret will be not making more of their ability to beat a lumbering Gers defence. It was  noticeable that the Dumfries side not only looked sharper on the ball but were also quicker and more dynamic.

For all Rangers’ woes this season the lack of these basic requirements points to a deeper malaise than a lack of confidence. The only players to show pace and trickery were Vuckic and young Tom Walsh when he came on.

And it was Vuckic who gave the home side the lead. The ball bounced the Slovenian’s way off Clark in the box, and with his right peg the on-loan Newcastle man fired home from 10 yards.

It was a cruel blow for Queens who had put so much into the game, but it was a goal Rangers celebrated wildly. 

Those celebrations turned out to be premature. Carmichael’s run caused chaos and from his cross Paton’s shot was saved.

Not so the follow-up from young Smith, who milked the applause from the away fans as Queens claimed a point no one could argue they didn’t deserve.