THE theme tune from the Great Escape used to be heard regularly at Ibrox and if Rangers can find their way back to the Scottish flight via the play-offs this season surely it should be retrieved from the back catalogue for a further airing.

Not only was the 2-0 defeat to Hibs on Friday night their third successive loss to their likely play-off rivals, it was their sixth in all when you throw Hearts into the equation. Three games in hand or not, it is the Easter Road side who have all the momentum.

Booing was heard around this Govan stadium again on Friday night but for Haris Vuckic it was something of a compliment. While he has now lost back-to-back home matches since sealing his deadline day loan move from Newcastle United, it says something for the positive reaction towards the Slovenian international from the club's rank and file that the jeering was a reaction to Kenny McDowall's decision to withdraw him from the fray.

As bleak as the statistics were for the club's fans, it seemed incredible to note that there were at least hints of encouragement to be derived from the performance as the club attempts to regather itself for the play-offs. With Kenny McDowall having made no fewer than six changes to the line-up, Rangers attacked with a tempo and verve which was missing in their Scottish Cup defeat to Raith Rovers and on another day wouldn't lost the game.

Vuckic - the only one of the job lot of on-loan Newcastle players currently fit enough to make a contribution - thanked the club's supporters for the warm greeting he has received, even amid such difficult circumstances, and said it was about time he and the other players rewarded them with a victory. Next up for Rangers is another adventure into Friday night football against their cup nemeses in Kirkcaldy.

"It's good for me that they give me support," said the Slovenian. "That was the manager's decision. He wanted fresh legs in the team and that's his choice. We played well and created a lot of chances but we didn't score. When you score, it's always easier to play, you get confidence and everything. So I think we deserved more from the game.

"All the other players have all welcomed me and I'm just happy that I'm here," added Vuckic, a former team-mate of Kenny Miller's under Malky Mackay at Cardiff. "We just have to take each game individually, try to win as many as we can and that will give us a good chance to be promoted. The other guys [from Newcastle] are still working on their fitness, but hopefully they're going to be back soon."

The Slovenian admitted there is a rather strange atmosphere around Ibrox right now. "Yes, but sometimes we just have to get the fans on our side," he said. "The only way we're going to do that is by winning games. I just want to play football at my maximum every time I get a chance and if the fans are happy that's a bonus for me."

As demoralising as this result was for Rangers, this was a further feather in the cap for the Easter Road side. While Friday was hardly their most fluent performance of the season, there is a growing belief about this Hibs team, and with the likes of Fraser Fyvie and Liam Craig on the bench, they have enviable strength and depth.

"Credit to Rangers to be fair," said skipper David Gray, the former Manchester United trainee who has been one of the best full backs in the Scottish game this season. "They came out, pressed us really hard, and with all that is going on behind the scenes there they put in a really good performance so we are just delighted to come away with the three points."

With Scottish Cup quarter finalists Falkirk, Queen of the South, and Raith all fighting it out for what is likely to be the last remaining play-off spot, Gray feels that any help you can get when it comes to the playoffs will be vital. "You just have to look at last week, when Raith Rovers came to Ibrox, and made it into the next round of the cup, while Falkirk and Queen of the South have been right up there with us the whole way," he said. "They are tough places to go, Queen of the South especially. Raith Rovers have turned us over a few times this season, so we need to respect every team in this league.

"The nearest place to us before Friday was Rangers in front of us," he added, "so hopefully we can solidify that position then it will be one, or two, less matches in the play-off. It is all about building momentum for the playoffs and being as good as we can be."