THE travel sickness of the Rangers players in the Irn-Bru Third Division has perhaps been the great mystery of the Scottish domestic game this season.

That a team that still boasts several internationalists – six started this encounter with Clyde, can have toiled so badly at Peterhead, Berwick, Annan and of course Stirling beggars belief.

With this trip to Broadwood representing Gers fifth away outing and three draws and a defeat providing the backdrop, only a win satisfy the appetite of the Light Blue legions who rightfully expect more of the men they have stood by in the club's time of need.

So there was no question that a great deal of significance had attached itself to what was the first competitive tie with the Bully Wee since a League Cup encounter which saw Rangers require a replay to over come the Broadwood club back in 2005.

The scrutiny on manager Ally McCoist and his ability to galvanise his men has also magnified.

With Clyde's artificial surface offering an unfamiliar dimension to the match, the Gers boss could have been forgiven for having some extra trepidation ahead of this trip to Cumbernauld.

So this 2-0 victory was one that not only restored Gers to the Third Division summit but also broke their away jinx.

Much has been made of the opposition's ability to raise their game against Gers and produce cup-final type performances, especially on home turf, and so it proved again as Clyde produced a plucky display.

Indeed, Jim Duffy's group signalled their intention early on to take the game to their illustrious visitors when with just seven minutes on the clock the Ibrox men were almost caught out as John Neill glanced a header a yard wide of Neil Aleander's right post.

But with the travelling fans in loud voice, Lee McCulloch's snap shot from Andy Little's cross drew a superb tip over from Jamie Barclay in the Clyde goal as McCoist's men threatened.

Buoyed by their skipper's effort, Rangers charged forward again and this time Little almost broke the deadlock with a low drive that Barclay parried, the Northern Ireland international then smashed the rebound wide.

Gers were in no mood to let up and in 17 minutes Dean Shiels curled in a 20-yard right-foot shot that beat Barclay all ends up for an opening goal that probably carried more significance than any of Shiels' previous strikes in Light Blue.

But with the break beckoning Clyde should have drawn level. Bryan Gilfillan hit the byeline before cutting back a cheeky ball that nutmegged Lee Wallace, and with the goal at his mercy, Stefan McCluskey side-footed wide.

They say that the ability to take your chances against your opposition is one of the main differences between the lower levels and top-class players, and this glaring miss was a painful illustration of that point.

It was also a reminder to Rangers that clear daylight between them and Duffy's gutsy performers had not yet been achieved.

But Rangers' response was quick and Wallace's 30-yard rocket drew an outstanding save from Barclay.

If the Ibrox men thought their part-time opponents were down and out they were wrong as within moments of the restart Alexander produced a stunning save to deny McCluskey's close-range header.

Yet as the game hit the 50-minute mark, Duffy's side enjoyed some good fortune when David Marsh scythed McCulloch in the home area only referee Alan Muir to wave play on.

But in 67 minutes a tiring Clyde were dealt a fatal blow when Neill received his second yellow card for raising his hands to Shiels following 50/50 coming together.

It was to prove to be the beginning of the end for the Broadwood club with Rangers' second goal coming just 13 minutes later.

The increasingly influential Ian Black crossed for captain McCulloch to slam home at the back post, sealing the points, ending the away hoodoo and hopefully for McCoist, galvanising his squad for future tests on the road.

With his inspirational skipper McCulloch in this type of form, the Ibrox boss has a true leader who can surely draw the best out of the more callow performers in the Ibrox side.

Now at long last he can look forward with a quiet positivity that at last his men are adapting to the culture shock of life in the Third Division.

In the short term, though, McCoist will hope the win provides a foundation for them to build upon when Inverness Caley Thistle come to Ibrox in the Scottish Communities League Cup on Wednesday.