THE mere mention of Queen of the South, the sight of the 'Welcome to Dumfries' sign and the first step on to the Palmerston plastic pitch is enough to make Rangers break out in a cold sweat these days.

The journeys down the M74 have been fraught, and ultimately disappointing, for the Light Blues squad this season and fans will once again set off more in hope than expectation on Saturday.

Rangers have made the trip twice this season and twice they have returned home defeated and demoralised, the events of two nights in Dumfries memorable for all the wrong reasons.

In December, the 2-0 loss was only the tip of the iceberg of the talking points as the future of boss Ally McCoist was thrown into question, debated and discussed, on the evening that Rangers' title dreams were finally sunk.

Fast forward a couple of months, and it was their promotion ambitions that suffered another blow as Stuart McCall's side crashed to a 3-0 defeat, his first as manager, and Queens proved they were very much play-off contenders.

Avoiding another date with the Doonhamers became Rangers' main focus in the final weeks of the Championship campaign but, like so often this season, they failed as Hibernian clinched second spot.

It leaves Rangers a maximum of six games rather than four away from a place in the Premiership as they gear up for an arduous, yet defining run in the play-offs.

But former Ibrox star and current Dumbarton boss Ian Murray knows the first hurdle is a significant one for McCall's side as they look to break their Dumfries hoodoo.

"I don't think it is anything to do with Palmerston, I think it is down to the fact that Queen of the South are a good side," he told SportTimes.

"They have done really well, especially at home, and they are hard to beat. A lot of teams have gone down there and struggled, not just Rangers.

"It is a tough place to go and you have to play well to win the game. But all the games are tough and they don't come much harder in this league than Queens away.

"When it gets to this stage of the season and you have played on plastic pitches a few times, it does become less than an issue than in a one-off game when you are not used to it.

"At this stage, you can't grumble too much because you know what you are up against and what you are facing.

"I don't think they will use it as an excuse, and I don't think it is an excuse. If they haven't adapted to it by now, it will be too late for them."

Having come up short at the end of the 36-game Championship campaign, Rangers head into their two-legged quarter-final knowing there can be no further slip-ups this season.

If McCall's side can overcome the Doonhamers, with the second game at Ibrox next weekend, it will set up a crunch 180 minutes against Hibernian.

By then, one of the play-off finalists will be known, and Motherwell, Ross County and Kilmarnock will lie in wait for the side that will represent the Championship in the final shoot-out.

On current form - with just two wins from their last six games and three draws in four - McCall's side haven't inspired confidence in fans that they can complete the job.

"It is very difficult and six games is a big ask for any team, especially at the end of the season," former Ibrox defender Murray said. "It is all geared for the Premiership team to stay in the league.

"Regardless of who gets through this tie, the game against Hibs is like a final. They will be two tough games and then you have to play another two legs, with the second one away from home. It seems a very tough ask.

"But the positive for Rangers, and Queens, is that Hamilton managed to raise themselves for four games last season.

"They had the disappointment of missing out on the title but then came back from 2-0 down at Easter Road. So it can be done. But it will be very difficult."

Since going down 3-0 at Palmerston a month ago, Rangers have won just two games as they saw their steady progress under McCall falter as the finishing line approached.

One of those wins came against Murray's Dumbarton as a Ryan Hardie double and Haris Vuckic strike earned a 3-1 win at the Rock.

And Rangers will need to recapture that winning feeling on Saturday after successive draws with Falkirk and Hearts saw second place slip through their grasp.

Murray said: "There were a couple of younger players playing against us that day and they brought an energy to the team.

"I wouldn't say there was a huge overhaul from previously in the season, but they produced a couple of moments of quality to win the game.

"The youngsters they brought in gave them real pace and energy. They looked like a team that wasn't playing with too much fear and trepidation.

"They looked confident and once they got in front, they were hard to peg back and they do have good players."

The questions that surround Rangers' league status are not the only matters of uncertainty at Ibrox these days as the club, on and off the field, continues on the road to recovery.

Boss McCall insisted last week that his future in the dug-out did not depend on guiding his side to the Premiership this season.

But Murray knows it is vital for the Light Blues as they look to avoid another season outside Scotland's top tier.

He said: "He will try to look at each game as it comes and try not to worry too much about what is going to happen further down the line. Obviously it will be in the back of his mind.

"Rangers don't know what league they will be in and it will obviously make a huge difference on and off the park. It is tough to plan and it is a situation that Rangers don't usually find themselves in.

"They have been working their way up through the leagues with the plan of being in the Premiership next season and, if that doesn't come to fruition, then they are behind in their progress."