EIGHT games played, eight games won, eight points in front.

Is it any wonder that Ally McCoist is feeling decidedly chipper about how Rangers are performing in SPFL League One at the moment?

Is it any surprise, too, that he has been named as Manager of the Month for September for the division after his team took maximum points last month?

McCoist's detractors, of whom there are many, will argue that the Ibrox club should run away with what is largely a part-time league given their huge budget.

Nevertheless, being responsible for the first team at such a large club comes with enormous pressures and, of late, has been anything but straightforward.

So the Gers manager, whose team defeated Ayr United 2-0 at Somerset Park yesterday, is quite correct to enjoy life whenever all is going well.

There were certainly enough reminders in the Ayr game of the uncertainty that continues to surround the Glasgow giants and the unrest that exists among the fans.

More anti-board banners were unfurled by the thousands of travelling supporters who packed out the terraces at the famous old ground.

One made reference to the annual accounts released by the Ibrox club last Tuesday which showed a loss of £14million for the last financial year. "Stop Bleeding Our Club Dry," it read.

It is obvious the long-awaited publication of the club's figures has done nothing whatsoever to allay the fears of fans about how the club is being run.

The only club director who was at Somerset Park to witness the protests, which appear to be escalating ahead of the proposed AGM later this month, was Ian Hart.

IntrigUingly, Malcolm Murray, the former chairman who is keen to engineer a return to the club as a director, was in attendance.

McCoist, then, made no excuses for being satisfied with a thoroughly professional away win that stretched their lead over Dunfermline at the top of the table.

"It is a box of tricks managing the club in the last year or so," he reflected. "We just hope we can handle everything that is thrown at us. Last week, for example, was interesting. But the most important thing, and you will hear me saying this all the time, is that the team is performing and getting results on the park for the supporters."

Rangers struggled to overcome Forfar Athletic on the artificial surface at Station Park in their previous away game. The win over Ayr was a vast improvement on that display.

"We were full of spirit and full of commitment," said McCoist. "The opposition team got more fans than they usually would for a league match.

"We feel we have to match the opposition spirit. We did that in the opening stages of the game, upped it in the second half and then ran out deserved winners."

Rangers, though, survived a few anxious moments in the opening 45 minutes. Early on Michael Donald lobbed Cammy Bell with a shot that came back off the upright.

Bell, whose previous association with Kilmarnock did not go unmentioned by the home fans, did well to tip two free-kicks from Ayr midfielder Scott McLaughlin wide of his posts.

His opposite number, David Hutton, produced a few fine blocks of his own in the first half with Bilel Mohsni, Lee McCulloch and Lee Wallace all being denied.

Hutton was finally beaten after some fine play from Mohsni, who is fast becoming a cult hero to the followers of his new club, in 56 minutes. Ian Black sent the ball into the opposition penalty box with a free-kick and his team- mate won possession.

A striker would have been proud of his neat turn and shot. It was his fourth goal in five games and had his manager, who added the free agent to his squad after a successful trial in the summer, singing his praises.

"Bilel has been great," he said. "He is full of surprises. Every game he is involved in there is a talking point with him. He is a real fans' favourite.

"He likes to go forward. He is certainly powerful in both boxes. He scored an overhead kick against Stenhousemuir last week, scored a fantastic goal against Ayr and had a hand in the second goal.

"We are enjoying his work at the moment, as we are with the vast majority of players in the team. But he has produced some very good individual performances."

The French-Tunisian centre-half's strike was topped moments later by Lewis Macleod. Arnold Peralta whipped a corner into the six- yard area and Mohsni nodded it on. Macleod fired the ball into the roof of the net with an overhead kick before - not surprisingly given his sensational effort - celebrating wildly.

McCoist brushed aside comments made by his Ayr counterpart Mark Roberts that the youngster may have been guilty of dangerous play.

He said: "I'm surprised at that comment from an ex- centre forward. I would be annoyed if a goal like that was being disallowed and I am sure the vast majority of the football public would be as well."