The Barry Ferguson era began with a bang as Rangers clawed back a two goal deficit to come away 4-2 winners against Kilmarnock.

In the ascendancy, Kilmarnock put themselves ahead as Joe Wright escaped his marker to head in Fraser Murray’s pinpoint corner with just over ten minutes played.

Despite a backroom overhaul, it looked as though Rangers were on the verge of a rinse and repeat rather than any clean break as Brad Lyons doubled the hosts’ lead as nicking the ball and firing it home from outside the box.

Facing another humiliating defeat, Rangers rallied to claw back a goal. Mohamed Diomande summoned an excellent through ball whilst playing the advantage to put Václav Černy through, the winger producing a deft finish for his 15th of the season.

In a night to be enjoyed by set-piece enthusiasts, James Tavernier landed his corner on a dime to find Cyriel Dessers for the side’s equaliser.

Victory would sealed by the Nigerian international with a sublime finish, bettered only by the long range pass from Ridvan Yilmaz that found him before Nedim Bajrami capped off the night’s turnaround with Rangers’ fourth.

Despite the lopsided opening scoreline, Rangers were almost in front as Kieran O’Hara denied a strong volley from Hamza Igamane.

Although they were somewhat fortunate to not be three down as Marley Watkins bore down on Jack Butland’s goal following a misread of the bounce from Clinton Nsiala, the Welshman taking aim between the sticks but the English keeper equal to it.

Dessers was denied his first of the evening by a terrific goal-line block by Wright after an excellent ball through the eye of the needle from Igamane across the face of goal.

Title gone but Ferguson instills professional pride

Two goals is one thing but thirteen points is another as even the greatest fantasists would struggle to conjure a story that would see Rangers snatch the title this year.

It’s fair to say that without a Europa League run, the club risks ended their pre-49ers era with an embarrassing whimper.

And whilst it the criticism of interim manager Barry Ferguson’s appointment is fair indictment on the haphazard running of the club, the performance tonight indicated that the players still held some professional pride after going down to a side now sat in 10th.

This may not be a vintage Rangers year, but there appears to be a glimmer of hope that the man with 288 appearances for the club can at least stop this season ending on a sour note.

Mystifying Killie leaving revival too late

It would take Kilmarnock seven games to earn their first league win. Nineteen to earn their fifth.

By the time the side had woken from their daze, all hope of matching last season’s fourth place finish looked as good as gone.
This is side that can lose 6-0 to Rangers in December, but hold a 2-0 lead over them in February. That can do the double over Hearts and then go six without a win.

For reasons that fans would love to be able to put their fingers on the season that began with a thrilling if heartbreaking European journey looks set to end with a relegation dogfight.

More worrying perhaps is whether Derek McInnes will have the energy, or even the desire to rejuvenate this side desperately in need of new faces.

Line-ups:

Kilmarnock: O’Hara, Ndaba, Deas (Watson 81), Mayo, Wright, Murray, Magennis (Polworth 70), Lyons (c), Armstrong (Donnelly 61), Wales, Watkins (Cameron 81) Unused subs: Anderson, Kennedy, McCrorie, Ramsay, Wilson-Brown

Booked: Magennis, Watson

Goals: Wright (11), Lyons (14)

Rangers: Butland, Jefté, Nsiala (Yilmaz 31), Pröpper, Tavernier (c), Raskin, Diomande, Hagi (Lawrence 78), Igamane (Bajrami 78), Černy (McCausland 87), Dessers Unused subs: Curtis, Kelly, Danilo, Rafael Fernandes

Booked: Hagi, Dessers, Pröpper, Lawrence

Goals: Černy (35), Dessers (53, 62), Bajrami (85)

Referee: Don Robertson

Attendance: 8,751