Rangers had to settle for a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw against an energetic and resourceful Falkirk side last night.

Yet, while Peter Houston's side will deserve plaudits for the manner in which they attempted to take the game to Rangers, there remains something soft and uninventive about this Rangers side.

In many respects, it was the Ibrox side's season in microcosm; pedestrian, sluggish and lacking utterly in imagination.

The draw left them one point behind Hibs with two games in hand, and 21 behind runaway leaders Hearts, and, on the current evidence, it is difficult to envisage Rangers finding an automatic route into the top flight this season.

They were found wanting in a game in which they were asked to fight for every scrap against a Falkirk side that kicked the game off with an enthusiasm and verve that threatened, in the early stages, to unnerve Kenny McDowall's side.

The players had barely broken sweat when the effervescent John Baird posted notice of his intent to torment when he forced Darren McGregor into a swift block. It set the tone for an evening in which Baird and Rory Loy, an ex-Ranger, combined to probe and irritate the Rangers defence.

Yet, against the run of play, it was the Ibrox side who took the lead.

Nicky Law's free-kick was flicked on by Kris Boyd and, although Tom Taiwo attempted a half-hearted clearance, the ball broke to McGregor, who rifled a shot low into the net.

It says much, though, of this Rangers side that they could not hold on to the lead and allow themselves the chance to build on.

Their ascendancy lasted all of two minutes before Falkirk pegged them back, Loy's header from Baird's cross beating Lee Robinson between the sticks.

Bilel Mohsni, back in the starting line-up after his return from a lay-off that has lasted almost 10 weeks, will not want to see a re-run of the goal.

While Loy will be satisfied enough with what was a decent header, from a Rangers perspective the forward should never have been allowed to get in front of Mohsni, who was sleeping when the cross came into the box.

With Lee Wallace and Lee McCulloch failing to make the game because of injury, McDowall had little option but to throw Mohsni back into the mix despite the fact he seemed to spread a steady unease throughout the Ibrox back four.

Baird and Loy's pace and quick, sharp movements unsettled the Rangers defence, who never seemed to quite get to grips with them. At the other end, Boyd almost put Rangers into the lead for the second time only for his header at the back post to be batted away by a one-handed save from Jamie MacDonald.

The second half commenced in the same manner in which the first finished, with both sides intent on pressing forward. At times it made for a relatively entertaining encounter, although the weaknesses that still remain in this current Rangers team remain clear to see.

Too often, McDowall's side ran out of ideas when they did get into the final third and, as the game wore on and frustrations threatened to boil over, there was no suggestion that they were capable of unearthing a winning goal.

Just before the hour mark, two Falkirk corners in quick succession caused all manner of alarm in the Rangers defence before they finally cleared their lines.

A clash of heads on the halfway line between Taiwo and Kyle Hutton resulted in play stopping for both players to receive treatment, but both players were able to continue.

By that point the game had descended into a far more tousy affair than the opening half had been. As freezing, steady rain fell, neither side seemed capable of keeping the ball for any length of time. With the clock running away from them, Rangers started to make the kind of mistakes that come when a team is struggling for form.

Steven Smith, haring his way down the flank to keep a ball in play and get his cross away, dithered and allowed the ball to creep over the line much to the chagrin of the visiting support.

It was symptomatic of the performance that Rangers turned in; basic errors denying them the chance to lay down significant inroads into a decent display.

Falkirk sounded warning of their desire to keep probing for further deficiencies within the Ibrox defence. Loy was allowed time to get away two decent efforts on goal, only for Robinson to prevent any further damage.

Recognising the need for a change, McDowall threw Kenny Miller and David Templeton into the mix midway through the second period. However, they were unable to find a way past a resolute Falkirk side.

It is a week that could culminate in significant change coming within the club, yet it was not just the display that underlined old problems will not go away for Rangers.

Elements of the support indulged in sporadic outbursts of unsavoury singing, but it remains a challenge for the relevant authorities to find a route to tackle it effectively.

Before kick-off last night, it emerged that Felix Magath had proxied his shares to supporters ahead of next Friday's EGM.

The former Fulham manager made a surprise purchase of 810,000 shares in the club last month, but has pledged them to the RST. The Trust now owns 4.5m shares and controls a 5.53% stake in the club through its own stake and proxies donated by other shareholders.

It promises to be a time of further change at Ibrox with supporters optimistic of heralding a group of businessmen in whom they believe into the club.

Off the park they require as much direction as they need on it.