McDowall Warns Rangers

Photo by Jeff Holmes Rangers caretaker manager Kenny McDowall warned his team were in danger of missing out on a play-off place if they continued the sort of performances that saw them held 1-1 by Queen of the South. A crowd of 35,018 turned up at the first game at Ibrox since the regime change that Rangers fans were crying out for, but the positivity has failed to transmit to the players. The hosts looked like grinding out an ill-deserved win when Haris Vuckic finished off in the 77th minute after getting the break of the ball inside the box, but 17-year-old Aidan Smith levelled eight minutes later. Rangers remain third in the Scottish Championship, six points above Queens and seven behind fifth-placed Falkirk. But the Bairns are unbeaten in 2015 while Rangers have now won just once in seven games. When asked whether there was a danger of falling behind Queens and Falkirk, McDowall said: "There's every chance. They are playing for the play-offs as much as we are, so I can't be disrespectful to them. "Queen of the South are a good side, as are Falkirk. They are looking to win games like we are looking to win games but we have got to work harder to turn it about. "I think it's going to go right to the wire, the play-off places, without a shadow of a doubt. "We have to find a formula to win games again. We are stuttering along, possibly not doing enough in front of goal and obviously not doing well enough to defend our goal. "You have to work hard until you get back to winning games. "It's very disappointing, with the new board in place and the stadium full and you get a lead and fail to see it out through poor, poor defending." McDowall has been a reluctant leader and admitted on the eve of the game he would welcome back either Ally McCoist or Walter Smith as manager. He has still not had talks with the new board since a brief meeting on Friday and said: "I would expect them to come to me as opposed to me going to them. "I've got games to concentrate on with the team. I'm here to do that. I'm sure if the board want to speak to me they will come and see me." Queens boss James Fowler was delighted for Smith, who was making his first league appearance following his debut in the William Hill Scottish Cup against Falkirk on Friday. "He's quite an exciting prospect for us," Fowler said. "He's not the brightest, let's put it that way, but when you ask him to go on and just play without giving him too many instructions, then he can play off that. He is definitely one for the future. "He is a local lad and he has a lot of friends that are fans of the club."