Queens Impress At Ibrox

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The resilience of Queen of the South was enough to earn them a point at Ibrox, as Rangers succumbed to persistent faults.

The hosts could not feed off the optimism generated at the first home game since boardroom change.

They had to rely on the attacking instincts of Haris Vuckic, who opened the scoring in the second half.

But 17-year-old substitute Aidan Smith was in the right place at the right time to equalise.

The result means Rangers are two points behind second-place Hibernian in the Championship, although the Ibrox outfit have a game in hand.

Rangers supporters returned to Ibrox in significant numbers. They were responding to the hope and optimism that a new board regime prompts, but perhaps also the sense that the traumas of recent years could finally be consigned to the past.

John Greig, an iconic figure who had stopped attending games because of how the club was being run, also returned. He took his seat in the directors box alongside new board members. There was symbolism in Greig's return, but problems at the club run deeper than images of renewal.

Mediocrity has become entrenched in the Rangers squad. On an occasion when the expectation of the home fans was of some kind of resurgence, they instead only found that old faults could not be eradicated.

Queens' pressing was so industrious and purposeful that the home side never truly settled on the ball. Possession was shared between the two sides - neither could grasp command of proceedings - and so the game was finely-balanced.

Breakaways tended to be the only source of attacking impact. Rangers' Nicky Clark twice benefited from a swift foray upfield, rifling a shot just wide.

Strikers had to be opportunistic, and Jon Daly would have been frustrated at his finish when Clark pushed the ball out to him as he saved Vuckic's shot, the centre-forward stabbing it over.

It was an awkward chance, and Queens were often the more coherent side. They moved the ball around the field confidently, with the movement of Danny Carmichael, Michael Paton and Gavin Reilly capable of spreading consternation amongst the home defenders.

The latter two were involved with Queens' best chance, Reilly bursting upfield then setting up Paton to fire against the post. Reilly also headed over when keeper Lee Robinson parried the ball straight out to him.

Toiling became more widespread after the interval, as if both sides were prepared to concede that a draw would be the least harmful result.

Rangers were unable to make full use of the width of their side, but when Lee Wallace did swing a cross in from the left flank, Jon Daly steered his header just wide.

As the frustration spread, so too did the sense of caution. Queens were always wary of Vuckic's elusive running, while the Rangers defence never looked wholly comfortable when put under pressure. There seemed no likelihood of a breakthrough until a moment of resourcefulness from Vuckic.

He was alert and composed enough to gather a loose ball inside the area, make space for a shot, then clip it beneath the diving reach of goalkeeper Zander Clark. The noise from the home crowd was one of relief.

The feeling did not last.

Queens remained committed to pressurising the home defence, and it eventually collapsed. Paton applied the pressure, stepping into space to drill a shot on target that Robinson could not hold. As the ball squirmed free, Smith was on hand to lift it into the net.

Exasperation spread, but Vuckic allowed his to spill into rashness, and he threw an elbow into the face of Iain Russell that referee John McKendrick did not see.

The game ended with the familiar sound of booing from the home fans.