MARK WARBURTON offered no excuses as Rangers crashed to a 1-0 defeat to Livingston and saw their slump in form extended to a third Championship fixture.

The Light Blues were far from their best as former Murray Park kid Craig Halkett netted the only goal of the game to condemn Warburton’s side to their fifth league defeat this term.

After clinching the second tier title, lifting the Petrofac Training Cup and then beating Celtic in the Scottish Cup, Rangers have turned in a hat-trick of poor performances in recent days.

While many put the defeat to Hibernian last midweek and draw with Alloa on Saturday down to an Old Firm hangover, Warburton was left furious with his side at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

Rangers return to action against St Mirren on Sunday before they face a three week break ahead of the Scottish Cup final against Hibernian on May 21.

Warburton said: “It is too easy to say that. You could say that after the Celtic game against Hibernian and you could say the draining nature of the game at Hampden, you can use that as an excuse. It is not really us.

“But no excuse today. We started brightly but for the vast majority of the game we were way below our level, way below. No excuses.

“Not just the players, staff in general. We look at ourselves because that is not Rangers. We have 24 days to get it right, which we will do.

“We have to learn from that. I am not going to sit here and try and defend something. We didn’t deserve to get something out of the game. It was not acceptable.

“It is work. Pressure is fighting relegation, pressure is fighting for your contract when you might get a pay cut. Pressure is clubs going out of business.

“Everyone is tired. We have all had a long season. Do you feel more tired after winning the trophy and winning the league or when you are fighting relegation?

“It is not the players being criticised by the management. We are one department, and as a department it wasn’t good enough tonight. The positive is that we learn from that.

“The only concern we have got is that we have got a tight squad. For the cup final, which is our focus now, Billy (King) is cup-tied, Michael (O’Halloran) is cup-tied, Dom Ball is suspended, Harry Forrester is injured.

“We are tight. We have to try and rotate and get the loading right. No excuses. That is not Rangers.

“Every time you put the jersey on it is a big game and important for you. That was game one tonight of our lead into the cup final.

“We have two more games planned. You will see a reaction to it. No excuses, simple as that.”