Attendance 34,847
It was an all-too-familiar story at Ibrox tonight as Rangers opened their European campaign with a goalless draw - but tonight's Champions League qualifier against Kaunas of Lithuania was a result that few amongst the crowd expected.
Walter Smith's men now have a difficult tie ahead of them in the Baltic state next week - and there can be no guarantee that last season's 'away-day' successes in the UEFA Cup will be repeated this time around.
Of Rangers' three new signings, only Kenny Miller from Derby County made the starting line-up, Kyle Lafferty and Andrius Velicka having to settle for places on the bench.
The visitors looked the more threatening in the opening stages, their pace on the break causing problems for a static Ibrox midfield, Zinas Pilibaitis cutting inside Sasa Papac in thirteen minutes before shooting over.
Debutant Miller had a golden opportunity to open the scoring six minutes later when he was clear in on goal from a Charlie Adam chip - but his flick was too delicate and Tomas Kancelskis cleared off the line.
Kaunas still carried a threat however - Mindaugas Grigalevicius seeing his wide-angled twenty-yarder flash wide of the target in 23 minutes.
Ten minutes later Rafael Ledesma worked an opening from a Pascal Mendy cross but Allan McGregor parried his effort.
Rangers began to apply some pressure as the interval approached - Jean-Claude Darcheville, through on goal from a Miler pass in forty minutes, rounded goalkeeper Marian Kello only to see his netbound shot again cleared off the line by Kancelskis.
Sixty seconds later Charlie Adam shot wide from a Miller knockdown before Lee McCulloch twice came close in the dying embers of the half - firstly when his flying header from an Adam corner was inches over, then a 25-yard shot from a Papac pass was held by Kello.
'Gers Boss Walter Smith made an interval substitution with Nacho Novo replacing Christian Dailly.
Kaunas continued to threaten on the break - Grigalevicius seeing his drive from a Ledesma pass held by McGregor in 51 minutes.
With the crowd growing ever-more restless as the clock ticked past the hour mark, Miller again broke through, this time from a Papac pass, only to see Kello beat out his shot.
Miller turned creator in 72 minutes, his cross finding McCulloch who rifled a twenty-yard shot wide of the target.
Two minutes later Adam's snap-shot from 25 yards was turned wide by the Lithuanian goalkeeper.
Velicka came on against his former club - replacing Miller - and almost made the perfect start to his Ibrox career (having signed from Viking Stavanger earlier this month) when he got the faintest touch to a Novo cross. only for Kello to hold the ball at full stretch.
With time running out, the Scots were growing in desperation - but the only real chance in the closing minutes came when an Adam corner found David Weir whose shot was blocked, the rebound falling to Novo whose effort was yet again cleared off the line, this time by Nukri Manchkhava.
The final whistle brought forth a crescendo of booing, and afterwards Walter Smith summarised:
"We started the game slowly. Credit Kaunas for setting out their stall so well. We're capable of winning in Lithuania. Kaunas played in a similar manner to us last season - but that run is over now, it won't automatically happen again."
RANGERS McGregor; Whittaker, Broadfoot, Weir, Papac; McCulloch, Dailly (Novo 45), Thomson, Adam; Miller (Velicka 73), Darcheville (Boyd 64)
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Hemdani, Webster, Lafferty
KAUNAS Kello; Radzius, Kancelskis, Zelmikas, Fridrikus; Pilibaitis (Cinikas 82), Mendy, Luska, Mrowiec; Ledesma (Manchkhava 61), Grigalevicius (Rimkevicius 63)
UNUSED SUBS Dreer, Zubavicius, Baguzis, Mamic
REFEREE Kevin Blom (Holland)