Dundee United 3 (Sandaza 16, 26; S. Robertson 58)
Attendance 48,686
It was a tale of two goalkeepers at ibrox tonight as Rangers failed to regain pole position in the title race, drawing 3-3 with Dundee United in a thrilling encounter with the key figures being the respective 'keepers - the visitors' Lukasz Zaluska, who defied a barrage of shots from the Light Blues and Allan McGregor, who was badly at fault for the first two goals.
Manager Walter Smith fielded an unchanged side from Saturday - and Rangers struck early with Steve Davis rifling home a twenty-yard shot from a Kenny Miller pass.
The lead lasted just six minutes however - Francesco Sandaza netting with a low shot from the edge of the area from a Mopgapo Gomes pass with McGregor slow to get down.
Rangers tried to respond immediately - within the next five minutes Kris Boyd twice had the ball in the net only for both efforts to be disallowed for offside. Each was a marginal decision - but one was left to ponder what the thoughts of United Manager Craig Levein were, given that he had made such an issue of refereeing decisions last May.
United fans shamed themselves with some abusive chants about Rangers Chairman David Murray. One awaits the SPL's reaction with interest
The near-capacity crowd were stunned into silence in 26 minutes when Scott Robertson's shot was fumbled by McGregor, Sandaza turning the loose ball into the net.
Rangers were stunned - but seven minutes later Kenny Miller did well to dispossess Sean Dillon near the touchline, his low ball across the face of goal seeing Boyd unable to take advantage.
The scores were levelled in 36 minutes when Sasa Papac blasted the ball home from a Novo flick. It was the defender's first goal for the club.
Kevin Thomson almost gave the Ibrox men the lead on the stroke of half-time when he played a one-two with Boyd only to see his effort from the edge of the box slip just wide.
Interval talk amongst the Light Blue legions centred on the possibility of Neil Alexander replacing McGregor, but in the event there were no changes on the restart.
Rangers laid siege to the United goal at the start of the second-half - Boyd's turn and shot following a Davis run being turned wide by Zaluska in the opening seconds, then seven minutes later the centre's eighteen-yard thunderbolt from a Miller lay-off produced a superb one-handed save from Zaluska.
Unbelievably when another goal arrived in 58 minutes it came at the other end - and it was a defensive disaster for the home side for it came from a long Dillon throw-in with Scott Robertson taking advantage of hesitancy to slot the ball home.
Incredibly the Tannadice men had recorded just three shots on target thus far - and had scored with all three.
Rangers tried to fight back again - Boyd's shot from a `kevin Thomson lay-off on the hour being touched wide by Zaluska.
Midway through the second-half it was the turn of Mendes to test the visitors' goalkeeper when he cut in from the left only for his low drive to be held.
Miller should have done better than slice his effort wide from a Papac cross in 71 minutes.
Barry Ferguson replaced Nacho Novo and Kyle Lafferty substituted for Papac in 81 and 87 minutes respectively - but quite what either player could do in the remaining minutes was debatable.
There seemed no way back for the Light Blues until deep into injury time Thomson broke forward from the middle of the mark before rifling a low grounder into the corner of the net.
Afterwards a frustrated Walter Smith commented:
"It was a good game. We were poor defensively. We created a lot of chances and deserved to win."
Nevertheless it was two dropped points - and as the Light Blue legions departed the main topic of conversation was the goalkeeping of Allan McGregor, who will surely be replaced by Neil Alexander on Sunday.
RANGERS McGregor; Broadfoot, Bougherra, Weir, Papac (Lafferty 87); Davis, Mendes, Thomson, Novo (Ferguson 81; Boyd, Miller
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Edu, Whittaker, Loy, McMillan
DUNDEE UNITED Zaluska; Dillon, Dods, Wilkie, Dixon; Flood, S. Robertson, Gomes, Conway; Feeney, Sandaza (Goodwillie 88)
UNUSED SUBS Buaben, McGovern, Swanson, Kenneth, Kovacevic, D. Robertson
REFEREE Craig Thomson