Rangers shrugged off the disappointment of double cup exits to get back to winning ways in League One as Ian Black, Bilel Mohsni and Dean Shiels struck in a 3-0 win over Forfar.
It was another weary display from Ally McCoist’s men, however, as they struggled to overcome the Loons.
They had to wait until the 68th minute for Black’s spectacular opener before Mohsni and Shiels added a shine to the score with a pair of headers.
The Glasgow team bore a hungover look following successive defeats to Ramsdens Cup final opponents Raith and Dundee United in Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final.
The third-tier champions had only their unbeaten league record to think of as they welcomed Dick Campbell’s side, and it ended up being a drab affair for those who bothered turning out after last week’s disappointments.
Keeper Steve Simonsen was back in the Light Blues line-up despite tipping Saturday’s cup tie in United’s favour with a late howler.
Deputising for the injured Cammy Bell, he gifted the ball to Nadir Ciftci in the build-up to the Tangerines’ third goal and was forced to close his Twitter account after he was targeted for abuse.
The 35-year-old Englishman was, however, handed a warm ovation by the home support as he ran out for kick-off.
The same could not be said for the Rangers board they were heckled throughout by sections of the club’s support, who are now planning to withhold season-ticket cash in a bid to oust the unpopular regime from Ibrox.
The Loons, the only other team to beat McCoist’s side this season after August’s League Cup shocker, were undone when Black fired home from 30 yards out.
Rangers netted again as Mohsni nodded in from close range and Shiels did the same from substitute Fraser Aird’s low cross five minutes from the end.
Rangers started brightly enough as Black had an early drive tipped over byLoons keeper Darren Hill and Jon Daly nodded wide from the resulting corner.
The onus was on the hosts to entertain their frustrated fans following those back-to-back defeats and a string of underwhelming performances stretching back weeks before that.
Yet again, however, there was little to get the supporters out of their seats as the Light Blues were soon toiling through the motions.
Nicky Clark did well to hold off Darren Dods and tee up Daly after 28 minutes, but the Irishman rushed his shot and ballooned it over.
Daly wasted his second chance soon after as Arnold Peralta did well to slide him in behind the Forfar defence but sliced his shot a good six yards wide.
There was a loud groan when he made a mess of it again as Nicky Law fed him inside the box, followed by an ever angrier cry when referee Craig Charleston booked Shiels for diving a minute before half-time as he tumbled while going past Dods.
Stevie Smith, who netted against United with a free-kick, almost did the same against Forfar after 53 minutes but saw his set-piece pushed over by Hill.
Another Daly header sailed wide as Rangers began to look increasingly short on ideas, but then Black conjured a rare moment of quality to put his side ahead.
Rangers worked the ball wide to Ricky Foster on the right, whose heavy touch drove him inside. The right-back picked his head up, though, and played the ball square to former Hearts midfielder Black, who smashed a 30-yard strike high past Hill.
There was a relieved look about McCoist’s side after that and they grabbed a second seven minutes later when Mohsni headed into an empty net as Shiels’ cross came off the bar before dropping into his lap.
The third came with five minutes remaining when Shiels threw himself head long at Aird’s low cross.