RANGERS have won their league by huge margins in the last two seasons despite suffering some embarrassing draws and defeats to part-time opponents.

In the Third Division two seasons ago, they dropped points to minnows like Annan, Berwick, Elgin City, Montrose and Peterhead.

Yet Ally McCoist's side finished 24 points ahead of Peterhead at the top of the table at the end of the campaign.

And in League One last term they were held 1-1 by Stranraer at Ibrox and still ended up 39 points clear of nearest rivals Dunfermline. However, that was then and this is now.

Their opposition in the SPFL Championship is predominantly full-time and of a higher standard to that they have faced since dropping down the divisions.

Every point, then, will be precious for Rangers in the weeks and months ahead as they seek to return to the top flight.

And poor results like the one they suffered to Alloa at the Indodrill Stadium on Saturday will prove costly in the extreme.

The 1-1 draw - a share of the points was only salvaged thanks only to a scrappy late goal from substitute David Templeton - allowed Hearts to extend their lead.

The capital club, who thrashed Cowdenbeath 5-1 at Tynecastle at the weekend, may only have a three-point advantage at the moment.

And with three league games between the clubs still to come, Robbie Neilson's team can easily be caught and overtaken. But this season the line between success and failure will be infinitesimal.

If there is any repeat of the flat and toothless performance in Clackmannanshire, Rangers will fall even further out of touch in the title race.

"I have said it along," said McCoist. "We are looking all about us this season.We will be looking at teams above us and below us. No doubt about it, this is a proper league we are in.

"We can't have it both ways. If we want to get back to the top and we want to play far better opposition then we can't expect to be cruising every game and every league. So we have to get the sleeves rolled up."

The injuries suffered by Lee Wallace before kick-off and Lewis Macleod and Nicky Clark during the game undoubtedly disrupted Rangers.

Wallace, Macleod and Clark have arguably been the club's three best players so far this season and their absences were keenly felt. The artificial pitch, too, was clearly not to the visitors' liking. At no stage did they look comfortable on a surface McCoist labelled "horrible".

But the Ibrox boss also paid tribute to the home team, who edged in front in the first half through a fine header from Jonathan Tiffoney, for their spirited showing.

He said: "Hibs went to Alloa and got beaten 2-1. It was evident to anybody who was at the game that it isn't an easy place to play football.

"But our tempo was nothing like high enough at any stage in the match. The whole thing was, for a variety of reasons, a little bit flat. But we are the ones who can change that."

Having won seven games on the spin in all competitions, it may seem harsh to be overly critical of Rangers after one bad outing.

Especially as their last two displays were their best of the 2014/15 campaign - an away win over Raith Rovers and a home triumph over top flight opponents Inverness.

But the Ibrox club should, with the size and strength of their squad, perform far better than they did at the weekend and overcome a part-time club like Alloa with little difficulty.

Jon Daly's late goal, which the big Irishman thought had snatched victory for his side, was deemed to be offside by assistant referee Lorraine Clark.

Television replays of the incident suggested that his effort should have stood and Rangers should have won the game.

However, Greig Spence should have sewn it up for Barry Smith's side before that when he was sent clean through on goal by scorer Tiffoney shortly before that.

The lone frontman shot straight at goalkeeper Steve Simonsen and his lack of ruthlessness in the final third was later punished. If Clark, Macleod and Wallace join Kenny Miller and Cammy Bell for extended periods on the sidelines McCoist will be without nearly half of his first team.

With the pool he has at his disposal, the Gers manager should be able to deal comfortably with that injury list.

Any failure to do so, any re-run of the horror show in Alloa, will result in Rangers getting knocked out of cup competitions and falling further adrift in the Championship title race.

It is the reality of the level they now find themselves operating at.