Rangers rather nervously ground out a 2-0 victory against a spirited Kilmarnock side to at least keep up some semblance of pressure on SPL leaders Celtic.
After Marvin Andrews had given them the cushion of an early goal, the home side struggled to impose themselves on hard-working Killie.
Indeed, if Kris Boyd's shot in the 79th minute had gone in rather than come back off the post then Rangers may have dropped a further two points.
As it was, Nacho Novo eased the home fans' worries with a late goal, though in mitigation their midweek exertions against Maritimo may have taken more out of the players than first suspected.
Killie nearly snatched an early lead when Craig Dargo held off Jean-Alain Boumsong's challenge, but his cut back was cleared at the expense of a corner.
Novo was first to threaten for the home team but his long-range effort drifted wide, before Steven Thompson's snap shot from 25 yards shaved the post.
Rangers' early pressure finally paid off when Novo won a corner from Boumsong's long range pass. Fernando Ricksen's centre was only half cleared to Stephen Hughes, whose low shot was diverted into the net by Andrews.
The big Trinidad & Tobago defender duly celebrated his first goal for the Ibrox side.
Novo should then have done better from Peter Lovenkrands' cross and when Alan Combe fumbled a Gregory Vignal cross, the Kilmarnock keeper had to look sharp to recover the ball.
Lovenkrands came close to adding to the home side' tally when he cut across the penalty box before unleashing a right-foot shot which was only inches wide.
As Rangers' efforts petered out, Kilmarnock came more into the game and Boyd should have done better than find the side netting with his shot.
Rangers spurned numerous chances to make the points safe at the start of the second half. Lovenkrands just failed to reach a Novo cross and Combe did well to hold a rasping Hughes volley from Thompson's flick.
One flowing move ended with Vignal just offside and then, from Novo's pass, Thompson hit the post.
At the other end, after Gary Locke dispossessed Hughes, Danny Invincibile's shot was straight at Stefan Klos, before Andrews twice came close to adding another for Rangers.
From Vignal's in-swinging free-kick his header was blocked by the keeper and from the rebound Combe made an even better save to touch over Andrews' powerful shot.
Rangers nearly paid the penalty for squandering so many chances when Vignal let Boumsong's throw in run under his foot, allowing Boyd to fire in a shot which hit the woodwork.
After this let off, Novo wrapped up the points when he latched onto Dado Prso's flick before driving his shot into the corner of the net from 18 yards.