RANGERS came out on top in a thrilling contest with Queen of the South at the weekend to leapfrog their opponents in the SPFL Championship.

Ally McCoist's side fell behind twice on Saturday due to a combination of woeful defending on their part and clinical finishing by their rivals.

However, strikes from Marius Zaliukas, David Templeton, Bilel Mohsni and Kenny Miller ultimately ensured the home team prevailed by a 4-2 scoreline.

It was a captivating match that supporters of both of the second tier sides - 31,851 of whom had filed into Ibrox - enjoyed hugely.

Yet, far greater battles will now need to be won in the weeks and months ahead if Rangers are to reclaim their place in the top flight of Scottish football.

And they will, as has been the case on many occasions at the troubled Glasgow institution in the last few years, not be fought out on the field of play.

What the outcome of them will be is, at this early stage, as unclear as how this mercurial Rangers team will fare on the park just now.

The admission last week that at least £3million will need to be raised at a share offering to see the club through to the end of the year was alarming if not unexpected.

There is no guarantee that cash will be generated in the next couple of weeks. What will happen if it does not is a matter of great conjecture.

Will Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley increase his stake further?

Could the training ground be sold and leased back to the club? Will Ibrox be renamed the Sports Direct Arena? Could first team stars like Lewis Macleod or Lee Walllace be offloaded to raise funds? Will Administration II happen?

All these possibilities, and many more, are being bandied about as a fresh crisis looms on the horizon at the League One champions.

Even though the official club announcement to the stock exchange was only made on Friday morning, concerned Rangers fans arranged another protest on Saturday.

The supporters housed in the lower section of the Broomloan Road Stand held up red cards in the 18th and 72nd minutes of the game.

Chants of "Sack the Board" rang out across the stadium as they did so - and were heartily applauded by those not taking part in other sections of the ground.

Rangers chief executive Graham Wallace has made improving relations between the club and its supporters a priority since he was appointed last year.

But it is obvious the fans do not and will not accept many of those who presently occupy positions of power at Rangers and do not trust their motivations.

Even if Rangers do bring in enough money to sustain them to the end of the year, the financial year and then the season - and that's a big if - their problems will not end.

That will surely only happen when supporters are convinced those at the helm have the long-term wellbeing of the club at heart and are not merely concerned with personal profit.

McCoist has been through all of this off-field upheaval on many occasions in his time as manager and is confident his charges will not allow it to deflect their attention from winning games.

With Hearts thrashing Falkirk 4-1 at the weekend to remain three points clear at the top of the table, they will have to remain focused to win their third successive title and promotion.

He said: "If my players had wanted an excuse or to look over their shoulders for an issue or two at the club or involving the club to blame for performances or results, there's been massive opportunity for them to do that.

"But they haven't done it. They are a fantastic squad of boys, they really are. I salute them for concentrating their efforts 100% on getting the job - which is winning games and hopefully entertaining the support at the same time - done.

"That's the job they have done in the past two or three years and we as staff are extremely grateful for them to doing that. But they have to keep doing it."

McCoist added: "You have just got to blank it out. It can't become an issue because if we lose track or focus on the job we have to do. If we do that then the game's a bogey. We can't allow it to affect us.

"It's easy to say that, but doing it is a different thing and up until now our lads deserve a lot of credit in their focus on getting results for this football club. Long may that continue because it will have to continue."

The turbulence at Rangers looks certain, despite a fifth win in succession, to drag on for some time to come.