It began with a standing ovation and ended with frothing execration.
The anguish-laden expletives that tumbled down from the stands at the final whistle are now so common place at Ibrox these days, the DJ might as well ditch his collection of jaunty old sing-a-long numbers and blast the boos and hisses out of the speakers at will. There will be no honeymoon period for Stuart McCall. It could have been worse for the caretaker manager, of course. In the end, a draw against the SPFL Championship's bottom club, who arrived in Govan on the back of a five-match losing streak, could be viewed as a decent result. Make no mistake, a composed, considered and increasingly confident Livingston outplayed Rangers at times. Despite forging an early lead through Haris Vuckic, the hosts reverted to type; a toiling, timorous and, worryingly, tired team that needs a bigger facelift than the Sphinx of Giza.
"I learned nothing that I didn't know already," said McCall, after his first match at the helm. "I thought the early goal might have energised us but after 30 minutes we looked a bit leggy."
He could be flogging a dead horse. McCall's first team sheet featured three changes to the line up that started against Queen of the South on Tuesday night. Out went Marius Zaliukas, Andrew Murdoch and Jon Daly and in came Kenny Miller, Sebastien Faure and Tom Walsh, who would end up being about the only Rangers player to earn applause after an enterprising display.
It was the returning Miller who had a hand in the opening goal after nine minutes. His tidy little lay off in the middle of the park was picked up in his stride by Nicky Law and, with plenty of forward momentum and attacking options either side of him, he slid a pass into Vuckic who finished in style.
The boys in blue celebrated with gusto and, for a spell, there was a visible sense of optimism and confidence. One Rangers player even tried a back heel into the path of a team-mate ... and he actually pulled it off.
The hosts could not exert complete authority however and as the half progressed Livingston emerged as a growing menace. At times, the Rangers rear guard looked as shaky as an outhouse door in a stiff breeze and, had Ibra Sekajja demonstrated a bit more gumption and speed of thought when in good positions, the visitors could well have prospered. They would eventually, though, and the equaliser on the stroke of half-time was thoroughly deserved. Danny Mullen's header rattled off the post and Sekajja gleefully gobbled up the left overs even though his elaborate, somersault of a celebration turned that glee into a grimace as he injured himself with his athletic but ill-advised performance.
Livingston were buoyant and the sight of their manager, Mark Burchill, urging his players to press and surge forward as the second period resumed was telling. The three points were there for the taking and he sensed it. Goodness knows what McCall was sensing. Impending doom perhaps? Livingston were knocking it about and moving around with poise and purpose and every time they manoeuvred into a dangerous area, the Rangers defence, and the supporters, found themselves in a desperate lather. The general nervousness was almost overwhelming and the tense and tormented Rangers players seemed to move around with the kind of edginess usually reserved for condemned men shuffling to the gallows.
Amid the huffing and puffing, Nicky Clark had a goal chalked off for offside while Miller almost inched the home side in front with a close range header that was well saved by Darren Jamieson in the Livingston goal.
There would be no last gasp winner. Livingston, marooned at the foot of the table, savoured a valuable point. On this evidence, there is more chance of them staying up as Rangers have of going up.
Man of the Match
Darren Cole (Livingston)
Rangers: Robinson, Wallace, McCulloch, Law, Vuckic (Templeton 71), Clark, Faure (Zaliukas 52), Miller (Boyd 80), Hutton, McGregor, Walsh
Subs not used: Simonsen, Smith, Shiels, Murdoch
Livingston: Jamieson, Sives, Talbot, Cole, Fordyce, Kyle Jacobs, Keaghan Jacobs, Gallagher, Mullen (Hippolyte 67), Sekajja (White 79), Pittman (McKenna 89)
Subs not used: Walker, O'Brien, Beaumont, Glen
Scorers
Rangers: Vuckic 9
Livingston: Sekajja 45
Bookings: Mullen 27, Talbot 79
Referee: Andrew Dallas
Attendance: 35,066
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