THE Walter Smith that manages Rangers second time around is far less volatile than the one that led the club to nine titles in a row in the Nineties.

But even the Ibrox manager could hardly stop himself from blowing his top after his team had a perfectly good goal chopped off just as it looked like they had secured a vital 2-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

For the Light Blues, emerging with maximum points from the Granite City is a difficult enough task.

They have now only won away to Aberdeen once in their last six visits. However, when blunders from the officials cost you it's ten times tougher to take.

To Smith's credit, he somehow stopped himself from coming out and completely lambasting linesman Billy Baxter following his bizarre decision to flag for offside, as DaMarcus Beasley netted what should have been an injury-time winner.

You can be sure other SPL bosses would not have kept their cool in the same way.

The Gers boss had every right to be livid as Kris Boyd was clearly not interfering with play as he was returning from an offside position.

Of course, Smith was fuming. But he managed to just about keep a lid on it as two points slipped through Gers fingers and denied the Ibrox club the prospect of sitting at the top of the table on their own.

"I feel aggrieved we didn't get the goal," he said. "It should have stood and it cost us two points in the end.

"The linesman was in line with play so there's no excuse for it. He knows he was in the wrong.

"Kris Boyd is not offside - he is walking away and not interfering. We've had this rule for years so the linesman should be able to handle it.

"In the last couple of weeks all we've heard is that the Old Firm get every decision going. Well, this shows that's not the case. And it never has been. I just hope referees and officials are not bowing to pressure."

As much as it was this decision that cost Rangers an important victory, on closer inspection, there should have been a few goals between the two teams after the visitors enjoyed an excellent first-half.

While Pedro Mendes earned rare reviews after his debut last week - and the midfielder certainly arrived in Scotland with a big reputation - it was the man playing next to him, Kevin Thomson, who stood out in the opening 45 minutes.

His deliveries into the penalty area were excellent and it came as no surprise that one of them led to the opening goal.

A free-kick into the penalty area was met by Davie Weir, who headed powerfully past Jamie Langfield.

But when you take the lead and other chances come along, you have to make them count.

Last weekend against Dundee United, Celtic blew some greats chances and paid the price. At Pittodrie, Rangers made the same mistake.

Kris Boyd, Nacho Novo and Mendes all had efforts on goal without finding a killer goal. And when Aberdeen equalised on the stroke of half-time after Derek Young had followed up a Lee Miller attempt on goal, it completely changed the complex of the game.

It was a big blow, naturally, but character was what was required then, and too many Rangers players failed to show the same desire or quality after the break.

The strikers stopped asking as many questions of the Dons defence, the midfield toiled to have the same influence on the game and although the Gers defence held firm, they had a bit more work on their hands.

One man who oozes quality is Madjid Bougherra. The defender might never be loved the way Carlos Cuellar was, but he'll not be far away if he continues to impress.

The guy simple strolls through games. He is big and strong and, first and foremost, makes sure he defends properly. But he is also composed and assured, and instills confidence in those around him.

Davie Weir gets in front of Lee Miller to power the Gers in front at Pittodrie	The same two players were involved in the run up to Aberdeen's equaliser, netted by Derek Young	The goal that never was... DaMarcus Beasley fires home with minutes to spare	But, much to Walter Smith's obvious dismay, the assistant ref chalked it off

Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for another new signing, Steven Davis.

He knows what life in the SPL is like, following last season's loan spell at Ibrox, but he was never really at the races.

Over the piece, the signs are there that Rangers are improving. They are by no means a team to be feared, but they are now organised and managing to keep possession. It's a dramatic improvement from the beginning of the season.

However, more progress will need to be made if they are to prove genuine title contenders. Smith, though, knows there is still work to be done but is pleased at the way things are coming together.

He added: "I'm happy with the way the team is developing. That is the best performance we've had at Pittodrie since I returned as manager.

"Now we have an important game to prepare for this weekend. Celtic Park is a tough place to go but we've got to compete. My players will be looking forward to the match."