HARIS Vuckic today admitted Rangers will have to be more clinical up front if they want to boost their chances of promotion by finishing second in the SPFL Championship.

The Ibrox club has the opportunity to finish runners-up in the second tier table this season if they can win all seven of their remaining games.

They are level on points with Hibs - who lost to Raith Rovers at the weekend - but have played a game less than their capital rivals.

Stuart McCall's side would not have to be involved in the first two play-off matches if they can edge ahead of Alan Stubbs' team.

Having beaten Hibs 2-0 away and Cowdenbeath 4-1 at home in their last two competitive outings, hopes are high among supporters that Rangers can go up this term.

But Vuckic, who netted two late goals after coming off the bench on Saturday, reckons their play in the final third must improve to secure a spot in the top flight.

The League One champions passed up a glut of gilt-edged scoring opportunities at the weekend before finally taking the lead through Nicky Clark in the second half.

They could have paid for their lack of ruthlessness in attack when Kudus Oyenuga pounced on a mistake by Bilel Mohsni and equalised with just 14 minutes remaining.

A long-range Darren McGregor effort and a double from substitute Vuckic ensured that Rangers collected all three points.

The 22-year-old Slovenian internationalist, though, fears they will not be so fortunate in the future if they are so careless again.

He said: "In the first half against Cowdenbeath on Saturday we created a lot of chances and we didn't score them. You could see the team was a little bit frustrated.

"We were pushing for a victory, kept going and scored an early goal in the second half and that gave us a massive boost and some extra motivation.

"But we made a small mistake and allowed them to score. Sometimes that can cost you against better teams. We might not be so lucky in future. We can't afford to do that again.

"We were fortunate at the weekend because we got a very good goal from Darren. That lifted us and we got another two goals towards the end of the game.

"But their enthusiasm and energy dropped. It was easy for us to score and finish the game. Other teams higher up the division might not be so easy to overcome."

Vuckic, who has been a huge success in Scotland since arriving on loan from English Premier League club Newcastle United last month, is right to be wary.

McCall's men need to play Championship winners Hearts twice in their remaining seven games -at Ibrox this Sunday and on the final day of the 2014/15 campaign at Tynecastle.

They also face a difficult away match against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park - a venue they were well beaten at back in December - on Thursday week.

But Vuckic, who is hoping to start against Hearts after recovering fully from an injury that saw him drop out of the starting line-up, is optimistic their winning run will continue.

The midfielder revealed that he wants to help the Glasgow giants win all seven of their remaining league matches and go into the play-offs on a huge high.

And the one-time AC Milan target stressed that he is desperate to help his club to beat the champions - both at home and away - and bolster their self-belief before the play-offs.

He said: "I feel the confidence among the Rangers players has grown with the two victories which we have recorded.

"The massive 2-0 win over Hibernian away was very important for us. And the home win at the weekend was as well.

"Sometimes a point is a victory for lower table teams. It is all about attitude. But at the weekend we showed everything. We created a lot of chances, we scored goals and we deserved the win."

Vuckic continued: "Hearts are already champions and we always want to beat the first team in the division. But we are just going to deal with things game by game.

"We will work hard on the training pitch against Hearts and then will see what game plan the manager comes up with.

"We want to win every game that we have between now and the end of the season and go into the play-offs on a high.

"That is the target for us. We want to finish in second place in the league at the end of the season and avoid two games in the play-offs.

"But first it is important that we have a momentum and a winning mentality as we go into the play-offs. We have to keep winning and getting points on board.

"If we can do that then hopefully at the end of the season we can be second and can give ourselves the best chance of going up. We need to be strong and motivated.

"I have been lucky enough to score a few goals since I have come to this club and if I can do so again in the games we have left then I will be very happy.

"I always like to work hard and do my best for the team and if I can score and help the team to win then it is a bonus for me."