Rangers 2-2 Falkirk

Nicky Law (left) struck late to deny Falkirk victory

Rangers were knocked off second place in the Scottish Championship, despite fighting back to draw with Falkirk.

The visitors, fresh from reaching the Scottish Cup final, looked likely to continue their winning run after establishing a two-goal lead.

John Baird scored the opener then set up the second for Tom Taiwo as Rangers' defence collapsed under pressure.

But the home side pegged back the Bairns through Haris Vuckic's header and Nicky Law's stoppage-time strike.

Stuart McCall's side slip one point below Hibs ahead of next week's final round of league fixtures.

The team finishing third will face Queen of the South over two legs to decide who meets the division's runners-up in the Premiership play-off semi-final double-header.

The winner will then meet the team finishing second-bottom in the Premiership, again over two legs, with a place in the top flight the prize.

Ryan Hardie (right) was prominent in the first half

Rangers threatened first through Ryan Hardie, who drilled in a shot that Falkirk goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald had to tip over.

Hardie then fed Tom Walsh for an effort that was on target but blocked.

Relying on the midfield nous of Mark Kerr and Taiwo, and the hard running of Baird up front, the visitors played their way back into the game.

Luke Leahy's cross found Baird on the penalty spot and the striker's first-time shot forced keeper Cammy Bell to throw himself up to block, then fell awkwardly and require treatment for a few minutes.

Bell might still have been dazed when he rushed out from goal to meet Baird, only for the striker to carry the ball round him. The angle was too tight for a shot on goal, and the Rangers defence eventually dealt with the situation.

A Lee Wallace cross forced Leahy to hack the ball clear from near his goal-line early in the second half, then Walsh's effort from the corner of the penalty area flew just wide.

The home side were soon more concerned with their fragile defending, which Falkirk took full advantage of. The visitors broke the deadlock with a straightforward corner kick that Rangers failed to deal with, leaving Baird free in the six-yard box to finish decisively.

Taiwo doubled Falkirk's lead before it was cancelled out late in the match

Baird then turned provider, beating Lee McCulloch to the ball on the halfway line then racing upfield. He was composed enough to spot the supporting run of Taiwo and measured a pass for the midfielder to shoot calmly past the exposed Bell.

The same pair combined again after Baird left McCulloch stranded for a second time, but Taiwo's shot was pushed away by Bell.

Some Rangers fans started booing captain McCulloch when he had the ball, prompting others to applaud him in support, but the mood was not helped when he met a free-kick inside the Falkirk penalty area only to head the ball clear instead of towards goal.

Rangers kept pressing, with Walsh hitting the post and Darren McGregor's header towards the top corner pushed over by MacDonald.

The home side's effort was eventually rewarded though when Vuckic met Law's corner with a powerful header that left MacDonald grasping at thin air.

The goalkeeper looked to have secured all three points for Falkirk and their first win at Ibrox since 1994 with a flying save to tip McCulloch's header over.

But, from the resulting corner, Law steered a shot into the far corner to restore parity.