Steven Naismith's first-half strike and a late counter from substitute Nacho Novo ensured Rangers survived an uneasy Co-Operative Insurance Cup third-round tie against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park.
Naismith had the easiest of tasks in knocking into the empty net in the 16th minute after Kris Boyd had set him up following a defence-splitting pass from Pedro Mendes.
However, the goal was not to prove a springboard for a comfortable win for the Govan outfit.
The Irn-Bru First Division side rallied but striker David Weatherston! missed good chances either side of the interval before Novo, on for Jerome Rothen, sealed the tie with 11 minutes remaining.
There was still enough time for Doonhamers defender Robert Harris to grab a consolation in the dying seconds and who knows what might have happened if there had been more time available to the home side.
The crowd of 6,120 inside Palmerston Park, many of them standing on terracing behind one of the goals, gave a real cup-tie feel to the night.
In the 12th minute the visitors should have taken the lead from Rothen's corner from the right but full-back Steven Whittaker bulleted his header from eight yards over the bar.
But Rangers forged ahead four minutes later through Naismith following a move that stemmed from Mendes. The Portuguese midfielder bought himself a moment of time on the halfway line with a clever turn and sent Boyd racing down the right-hand side with a well-weighted p! ass which breached the Queen of the South defence.
Moments later, only a saving tackle by Queen's defender David Lilley inside the box prevented Naismith grabbing number two.
In the 26th minute Boyd was yellow-carded by referee Willie Collum for simulation after he had gone round Queen's keeper Ludovic Roy, a decision that was heartily cheered by the home support.
And moments later Collum ignored a penalty claim from Boyd when he went down inside the box in a clash with Lilley.
Four minutes from the break the home side missed a great chance to draw level. With a fine first-time pass from in his own half, Steve Tosh sent Weatherston racing clear of the static Rangers defence but the Palmerston striker, with Madjid Bougherra closing at the edge of the box, lifted the ball over deputy keeper Neil Alexander only to see it run! wide of the target.
The home side continued their pressure in the second half and with some purpose.
Two minutes after the restart Weatherston had another opportunity when a smart Barry Wilson pass put him in against Alexander again, but from 10 yards out and Bougherra pressurising, he blasted his shot of the Ibrox keeper's legs.
In the 56th minute Roy took no chances when tipping Thomson's curling shot from 30 yards over the bar and Queen's survived the subsequent corner before going hunting for the equaliser again.
Moments later, though, Sasa Papac should have sealed the tie when he found himself unmarked at the near post but the Rangers left-back failed to get enough on his header from Rothen's cross and the ball sped past the far post.
Former Celtic player Rocco Quinn replaced Tosh in the 64th minute after the veteran Doonhamers midfielder was taken off on a stretcher following a challen! ge from Steve Davis before Derek Holmes headed over from Wilso! n's c ross.
Roy touched Bougherra's flashing header from Rothen's free-kick onto the bar and over for a corner, and then moments later made another save from Boyd's header.
The home side refused to accept their fate, though, and in the 72nd minute Holmes' overhead-kick inside a packed Rangers box had Alexander diving to his right to push the ball round the post.
However, the tie was effectively over in the 79th minute when Rangers substitute Novo, on for Rothen four minutes earlier, raced clear of the Palmerston defence to take a Davis pass and slip the ball past Roy.
But Queen's were not to be denied a last moment of glory as Harris scored a fine consolation in the final seconds with a long-range strike.
Match details
Queen of South: Roy, Reid, McAusland, Lilley, Harris, Burns, Tosh (Quinn 64), McKenna, Wilson (McQuilken 72), Holmes, Weatherston (McLaughlan 83)! . Subs: Hutton, Thomson.
Rangers: Alexander, Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac, Rothen (Novo 74), Thomson, Mendes, Davis, Boyd (McCulloch 87), Naismith. Subs: McGregor, Miller, Smith. Booked: Boyd.
Referee: W Collum (Scotland).
