THREE wins evaded them. Now, three defeats are staring Rangers in the face.

The failure to record a hat-trick of victories has been the story of the season for the Light Blues but it is the unwanted record of losses on the spin that is the talking point ahead of the visit of Aberdeen.

If the reverse to Hamilton was a slip, this was far more than a blip as Dundee inflicted more misery on interim boss Graeme Murty. A Josh Windass strike had given the Gers hope at Dens Park, but it was the goals either side of it from Mark O’Hara that were the defining moments.

This wasn’t the reaction that Murty needed, nor the one that supporters expected, after Accies ran out 2-0 winners at Ibrox. Now Rangers will return to home soil and host the Dons in the first of a hugely significant double-header on Wednesday night.

With the AGM to come just hours later and the trip to Pittodrie following on Sunday, Rangers are entering a defining week on and off the park.

A win at Dens Park would have been the ideal start but it was beyond the Light Blues as Neil McCann’s side recorded just their third win of the campaign to move off the bottom of the Premiership.

Murty made just one change to the side that were embarrassed against Accies as Declan John replaced Lee Hodson at left-back. For the rest of the Gers line-up, it was a chance to prove a point and to try and make amends for their Ibrox no-show.

Rangers started brightly and had the first real chance of the night as Ryan Jack’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected just wide.

Dundee soon had opportunities of their own, though. Both came from distance and both were dealt with by Wes Foderingham, but they were signs that McCann’s side were growing into the encounter.

First, Faissal El Bakhtaoui forced the Gers keeper to palm a shot over his bar, before the Englishman held a Paul McGowan effort after Ross McCrorie had cleared a Roarie Deacon cross.

Dundee made several promising ventures down the right flank but a lack of quality in the final third ensured Foderingham wasn’t kept as busy as he could have been as Rangers enjoyed the better of the first half overall.

It was Murty’s side that carved out the best chance but it was spurned by Daniel Candeias. Jack split the Dees defence with a terrific pass but the Portuguese could only fire a shot straight at Elliot Parish.

The keeper was left helpless minutes later as Josh Meekings sliced an attempted clearance onto his own bar after Rangers worked the ball to the right and Candeias swung in a teasing cross from the flank. The goal continued to elude Rangers as the break approached.

Striker Alfredo Morelos wouldn’t make the whistle, though. The Colombian saw his goalless run extend to a tenth match but it was his fitness that was the main concern here.

Candeias and James Tavernier combined well down the right and the full-back tried to pick out Morelos with a cross. But he fell awkwardly and clattered into the post as Tavernier’s cross narrowly evaded him.

As he was receiving treatment, Kenny Miller couldn’t get enough on a Tavernier free-kick to divert it into the net. It was the last chance of the half for Rangers.

Within seconds, Morelos went down once again and signalled that his night was over. He received a warm round of applause from the travelling Gers support but will undoubtedly be frustrated that he couldn’t get back on the goal trail and end his barren spell.

It was hard to see where the goal was going to come from for Rangers but Murty needed a hero to emerge from his ranks in the next 45 minutes.

The Gers have been notoriously slow starters after the break this season and they could ill-afford to be caught cold on a chilly night at Dens Park.

There was a sigh of relief in the away end when Sofien Moussa couldn’t capitalise on a slack pass from John on the touchline. It was another warning, if any were needed, that Rangers would have to up their game if they were to emerge victorious.

Murty was facing another injury scare after McGowan caught McCrorie in the middle of the park. The midfielder was booked for a rash challenge, while McCrorie was able to shake off the knock and return to the action after a couple of minutes.

Murty soon had greater problems, though, as Dundee took the lead through O’Hara. Jon Aurtenetxe’s free-kick from the right wasn’t cleared and the ball bounced off Danny Wilson and landed perfectly for O’Hara. He made no mistake from six yards as he fired a shot beyond Foderingham.

Once again, it was all about the reaction from Rangers. Having crumbled against Accies, they had to respond in the right manner.

This time, they did. Meekings failed to clear his lines and Windass picked the ball up and rifled a shot into the net as Parish was well beaten.

The recovery job had been started, now it had to be finished. The task was beyond Rangers, though.

It was Dundee who got the third goal of the night and the three points as O’Hara scored his second. Scott Allan unlocked the Gers defence just seconds after his arrival and O’Hara kept his composure to finish well from inside the area.

There was no way back for Rangers this time. The cheers from the home end were almost drowned out by the chorus boos and anger that emerged from the Gers support.

Things had been bad. They had just got even worse. Now, only time will tell what is to come next.