RANGERS missed the chance to close the gap to Old Firm rivals Celtic for the second successive weekend after being held by Kilmarnock at Ibrox.

Steven Gerrard’s side fell behind to Conor McAley’s first half opener before Alfredo Morelos netted his 29th goal of the campaign with 25 minutes remaining.

But there was no late winner for the Gers, who could now fall ten points adrift in the Premiership title race if Celtic win at Dens Park on Sunday.

It caps a hugely disappointing week for the Light Blues after the Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat to Aberdeen on Tuesday night.

Gerrard and the Ibrox crowd would have been expecting a reaction from Rangers and the 38-year-old made four changes to his side in a bid to get back to winning ways.

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The gaps left by injuries to Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield were fill by Lassana Coulibaly and Steven Davis, while Nikola Katic and Andy Halliday came in for Joe Worrall and Borna Barisic.

A sluggish start cost Rangers dear in midweek and they didn’t exactly burst out of the blocks this time around. After just three minutes, Eamonn Brophy was through and fired a shot wide and it turned out to be his last action as he was replaced by McAleny after suffering a strain.

Rangers had their fair share of the ball but couldn’t do enough with it as Halliday fired a free-kick over the bar and a low effort from Ryan Kent was easily held by Daniel Bachmann.

The keeper was a match for two Davis strikes, the first of which was deflected, as Rangers became increasingly frustrated in the final third.

Appeals for a penalty when a Morelos strike was blocked were waved away by referee Greg Aitken and Allan McGregor was booked for dissent seconds later.

The afternoon soon got worse for the Ibrox shot-stopper. A Gary Dicker pass over the top left Connor Goldson stranded and struggling and McAley rounded the on-rushing McGregor before slotting the ball into an empty net.

The reaction from the home crowd said it all as anger levels peaked. Come half-time, they went even higher as Gerrard’s side were booed off.

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Rangers were lucky not to be out of the game at that stage. McAleny was almost the provider this time as his pass found Alan Power and the midfielder should have at least hit the target with only McGregor to beat.

The interval gave Gerrard a chance to try and kick-start his faltering side and Barisic was introduced at the back and Eros Grezda came in ahead of him as Daniel Candeias made way.

It was Killie that had the first chance after the restart, though, as Youssouf Mulumbu fired just wide on the angle. The visitors were worthy of their advantage, and more than capable of adding to it.

The hour mark arrived without Rangers getting back into the game and Jermain Defoe had replaced Coulibaly. Soon, Morelos came to the fore.

Tavernier’s pass found the striker inside the area and he spun Stuart Findlay before firing a shot beyond Bachmann as Ibrox was finally lifted. Gerrard tried to rally the home fans and his side now had time to go and win it.

The Light Blues piled forward in search of the crucial second but it quickly began to look like it was going to be one of those afternoons.

The best chance arrived when Morelos and Davis broke and Grezda slipped in Defoe but the striker pulled a shot wide across goal as Ibrox groaned in frustration.

Five minutes of added time gave Gerrard’s side hope but it was Killie that almost snatched it as McAleny tried to flick on a low free-kick from Chris Burke.