Rangers 2-2 Alloa Athletic

Alloa claimed their second draw at Ibrox this season

Alloa Athletic were rewarded for a spirited performance with a deserved draw against Rangers at Ibrox.

Having taken the lead through Ben Gordon, the visitors found themselves trailing when Nicky Clark scored twice.

Familiar flaws haunted Rangers, though, and they allowed Liam Buchanan in to equalise with just eight minutes left.

The watching Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs would have been enthused by the result, since it leaves his side six points clear in second place.

And Hibs, who have played a game more than Rangers, host the Ibrox side on Sunday.

Recently-appointed manager Stuart McCall calculated that a radical approach might revive the fortunes of this Rangers team, making five changes to the starting line-up and starting with teenagers Andy Murdoch and Tom Walsh.

McCall is still looking for his first win as Rangers manager

The attempt was to shake off the sense of gloom that has enveloped the team in recent weeks. With only one win in their previous eight matches, Rangers had become a side in decline.

There were, sporadically, causes for optimism, not least the bright moments of skill and adventure from Walsh, but otherwise much of the home side's play was familiarly bereft.

Alloa were set up to limit Rangers, although they were constantly troubled by the dynamic play down the home side's left flank.

Lee Wallace and Walsh combined well, with the former's cross creating an early chance for Clark that he sent over the bar.

Gordon punished sloppy Rangers defending to put Alloa ahead

Walsh then cut infield and curled an effort just over. A later exchange between the two left-sided players ended with Wallace crossing and Jason Marr slicing a clearance over his own bar.

After the interval, Mark Docherty slung over a straightforward cross that the home defence could not deal with and Gordon rose to head past Cammy Bell.

Alloa were buoyed, and for a spell took the game to the home side.

McCall's response was to replace defender Marius Zaliukas with winger David Templeton and switch to a 3-4-3 formation.

Silence had enveloped Ibrox, so that even when Nicky Law carefully met a ball over his shoulder with a volley that McDowall pushed away, the crowd were not fully roused.

However, a period of attacking play led to Lee McCulloch rattling the ball off the crossbar and Clark was first to react, darting to meet the rebound and head it into the empty net.

Clark's double temporarily put Rangers ahead

Now Rangers were enlivened and Clark took full advantage by scoring again, sprinting to the near post to meet a cross and flick a header into the net.

A composed, self-assured side would have seen the victory out, but Rangers remain fragile at the back.

Alloa had continued to believe that something could be taken from the game, and they were rewarded by Buchanan's poacher's instincts.

He was able to spin into the inside left channel, reach a hopeful ball ahead of Wallace and clip a shot over the on-rushing Bell.