Rangers 1 Livingston 0

Rangers launched Ally McCoist's farewell tour with a comfortable 2-0 win over

Livingston at Ibrox.

Fraser Aird rifled his side ahead after 10 minutes before Simon Mensing's own

goal 16 minutes from time gave the departing boss some light relief after

another week of off-field drama.

It was confirmed on Monday that the 52-year-old had tendered his resignation

and was now working his 12-month notice period.

The club's record scorer - who first signed for the Light Blues as a player in

1983 - may be in his final days as Rangers manager but the Ibrox soap opera shows no sign of relenting.

Monday's AGM will see the unpopular regime in charge of the club face

shareholders and they can expect the same furious response which greeted them at last year's showdown.

They will be expected to explain Mike Ashley's plans for the club and how they

are going to raise the #8.3million the club need just to survive beyond April 1.

During the Livingston clash the board encountered just a small sample of the

reception they may face.

The Blue Order group of supporters could be heard chanting sack the board, sack the board'' and other derogatory songs during the first half but there was no acclaim for McCoist.

One fan in the East Enclosure even emerged from the seats just behind the home dug-out holding a banner which read Enough is Enough''.

Neither did news of the manager's impending departure inspire his team to a

better level of display as they again failed to shine against a side led by Mark Burchill after John McGlynn was dismissed on Tuesday.

Rangers were lucky not to find themselves behind after just three minutes as Steve Simonsen produced a fantastic save down to his left to deny Danny Mullen.

But Aird's early strike at least ensured there was no reason to really worry.

Steven Smith flighted a corner back towards the penalty spot for Darren

McGregor. The centre-back had to stretch to connect with a header and while it was going well off target, the ball fell perfectly for youngster Aird to rifle

back across goal and through a ruck of players as it eventually nestled into the

far corner of the net.

Yet the visitors remained threatening. Simonsen was nearly left red-faced as he

spilled Keaghan Jacobs' shot from the left in front of Jordan White, before

hurriedly leaping on the loose ball.

White was then the one looking embarrassed as he nodded straight at the goalkeeper from just four yards out when he had the rest of the goal to aim at.

Nicky Clark was handed a starting slot as Jon Daly and Kris Boyd were both left

on the bench. Both he and forward colleague Kenny Miller were lively without the partnership ever really clicking.

Declan Gallacher blocked Clark's shot soon after the game resumed following the break, while Darren Jamieson did well to claw away another effort from Nicky Law.

There was some marginally better stuff from the home side. They should, for

instance, have doubled their lead as Smith and Lee Wallace combined down the left before Wallace smashed over the bar from 10 yards.

Another nice move was not fished off as Clark chested the ball perfectly into

the path of Law, only for the midfielder to drag a poor effort wide.

But it was a good, old-fashioned mix-up which produced the second goal. Boyd,

just on for Miller, swung a pass from one side of the park to the other as he

found Aird. The winger then tried to pick out Clark darting into the box but

came up trumps as Mensing diverted the ball past Jamieson with an errant

header.

Dean Shiels had to block bravely at Jacobs' feet late on to preserve that lead

before White somehow could only hit the post from a yard out.

But Rangers saw out a win which keeps them nine points behind promotion rivals

Hearts.