ABERDEEN’S long awaited win at Ibrox should have been a hell of lot easier than it turned out to be but after 26 years nobody wearing red cared.

Derek McInnes’s side were 2-0 up and cruising, in truth they could have been four or five to the good, but sloppiness allowed a previously awful Rangers team back into a game in which until then they had contributed nothing but errors.

It was way back in 1991 when Aberdeen, the team which allegedly always raised its game against Rangers, had last won at Ibrox. Brian Grant and Eoin Jess the goalscorers in a 2-0.

Read more: Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha fuels war of words by calling Aberdeen's Derek McInnes 'disrespectful'The Herald: Aberdeen's Ryan Christie (centre) celebrates his goal with Shay Logan after their second goal at Ibrox

Had they been more clinical here, the final moments would not have been so nervous for the band of supporters from the North East. As for those backing the home side, at least they eventually saw a bit of fight but nobody was fooled.

For long spells Rangers were a disgrace. A team utterly avoid of what any ordinary punter would call effort. They were directionless, their passing a joke and if a manager can be judged after ten games then that is what is happening to Pedro Caixinha.

There is not a hint of progress.

There was no Clint Hill so 18-year-old Aidan Wilson was drafted to make a debut alongside David Bates who at 20 is just a pup himself. Wilson acquitted himself well in fairness.

McInnes was less than chuffed with Caixinha’s Aberdeen themed pre-match press conference but it was he who went over to the Portuguese before kick-off and their exchange was warm. This wasn’t the case at the end when they had words.

With only nine minutes gone, Ibrox must have felt like a lonely place for the home team’s manager.

It was as if Mark Warburton was still in the house as Jon Toral dithered at the back, was forced to play the ball back to Wes Foderingham who was forced to clear quickly putting pressure on James Tavernier whose pass wasn’t picked up Josh Windass.

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Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie took advantage of this defending carnage, got the ball skipped through the blue final and placed his shot beyond Foderingham.

As well as Shinnie did it was dreadful by the home side; all game they seemed determined to cough up chances to Aberdeen. It didn’t help that Lee Hodson pulled up on 17 minutes to be replaced by Myles Beerman, another rookie who has had a tricky past few months.

The young players in blue at least had an old man to try something. Kenny Miller created a chance all by himself when he charged down a clearance, took on the ball before squaring to Joe Garner who curled his effort wide of goal from just outside the box.

Aberdeen were so much more comfortable on the ball. Shinnie and Kenny McLean, who has moved up several levels this season, pinged passes all over the Ibrox pitch. For their part, Miller aide, Rangers’ passing was awful and it was difficult to see what the plan was.

Aberdeen had two great opportunities late in the half within a minutes of each other Anthony O’Connor pinged a ball to the back post for Andrew Considine, he headed back across goal and on the half volley either Ash Taylor had a bad miss from a few years or Foderingham pulled off a great save. It was a bit of both.

Minutes later and another cross into the Rangers box which wasn’t dealt with saw the ball bounce about around the six-yard box and the usually accurate Adam Rooney hooked his shot over from close range.

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Aberdeen went even closer to a second a minute before the break. The ineffectual Toral fouled Christie 30 yards from goal. A free-kick was given, Niall McGinn fancied his chances and his almost perfect effort, which was heading into the top corner, was quite brilliantly by Foderingham.

A change was made by Rangers at half-time. Joe Dodoo isn’t up to it and he was replaced by Martyn Waghorn who has not found any real form since getting injured on the first league game of the season.

And the half began in similar fashion. A horror mistake by Bates on the edge of his own box – is nobody at Ibrox allowed to clear their lines – gave McGinn the chance to run on goal, the excellent Foderingham getting to the ball first and directing it away from goal.

That should been the end of the danger but McGinn was allowed to collect the ball, turn back into the box, find McLean who slipped a pass to Rooney and his shot was saved. Not a single tackle worthy of the name was made.

Aberdeen’s second on 51 minutes was inevitable. McGinn skinned Tavernier, his cross found Rooney who headed into the six yard box and Ryan Christie, on loan from Celtic, nodded the ball home.

Toral, utterly hopeless, came off for another 18-year-old Jamie Barjonas and somehow Rangers got a goal back on the hour. A driving run by Windass ended with him finding Waghorn who produced a fine chip over Lewis.

The final half hour was exciting if lacking in quality. Aberdeen substitute Jayden Stockley had enough time to pick up two bookings and was sent off in the final minute. It didn’t matter. Rangers didn’t have the quality to save a point.