Ventura County Fusion 3-1 Rangers: Ally McCoist's despair with Bilel Mohsni's goal the only bright moment in embarrassment



The Gers went down to a fourth-tier US outfit in California

Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd and Ian Black all played in the friendly



Rangers ended the first match of their tour of North America and Canada with red faces to rival the golden glow of the Californian sun.



Losing to a US fourth-tier side was not exactly what Ally McCoist will have had in mind when his side arranged a match against little-known Ventura County Fusion.



But goals from Jordan Vale, Ronnie Argueta and Matt LaGrassa were enough to secure a shock victory for the athletic but ultimately limited US part-timers here at Ventura College Sportsplex, despite a Bilel Mohsni consolation for the Scots.



Not happy: Ally McCoist (right) watches on as his Rangers side lost against lowly Ventura County Fusion

MATCH FACTS

Rangers (3-5-2): Bell; McGregor (Aird 46), Zaliukas, Mohsni; Foster (Faure 66), Wallace (Smith 46); McCulloch (Hutton 66), Macleod (Boyd 46), Black (Templeton 46); Law, Miller (Clark 66).

Subs not used: Simonsen, Kelly, McKay, Crawford, Shiels, Gallagher, Murdoch. Goal: Mohsni 81 Ventura goals: Vale 41, Argueta 73, LaGrassa 85

If the Rangers boss was seeking excuses, this was admittedly a match played in mildly preposterous conditions, both on and off the park. The most pitiful plastic pitch made flowing football impossible, while the American football markings across the turf added to the sense of unease felt by the Ibrox players.



Off the park, an over-excited public address announcer kicked off proceedings by welcoming Rangers 'managed by the legendary Ally McCoist'. And thereafter, at every break in play, he read out commercials for, amongst others, a fast food outlet, a karaoke bar and a local sports emporium.



But the stark fact is Rangers will have to do better than this over the course of the coming season if they are to succeed in their goal of completing the final step of their journey back to the top flight.



Nothing went right: Captain Lee McCulloch was unable to drive the tourists on from midfield

McCoist started with three of his summer signings, Darren McGregor and Marius Zaliukas teaming up with Mohsni in a back three in front of keeper Cammy Bell. Kenny Miller was deployed as the lone striker while his fellow returning new boy Kris Boyd was named on the bench.



Richard Foster and Lee Wallace were at right and left back respectively, with captain Lee McCulloch in a deep sitting midfielder role, behind Ian Black and Lewis Macleod. Nicky Law, meanwhile, operated in the hole behind frontman Miller.



Among the hundreds of ex-pats out here in Ventura to watch this game were former Rangers captain and San Diego native Richard Gough, as well as ex-Ibrox director Paul Murray.



And the visitors nearly took the lead when Mohsni’s header from a Macleod corner was cleared off the line by Fusion’s Vale. Then Miller passed up a glorious chance to score when he narrowly failed to convert a Law cutback at the back post.



Ventura made Miller pay instantly when Duran Stanley raced up the other end, and crossed for Jordan Vale on the six-yard line to stab past Bell four minutes before the break.



Cheers! Ronnie Argueta swiftly took the ball around goalkeeper Cammy Bell to the hosts' second goal

McCoist duly made four changes at half time, sending on Boyd, David Templeton, Stevie Smith and Fraser Aird for McGregor, Wallace, Macleod and Black. The Rangers manager also reverted to four at the back.



But a header by former Hearts captain Zaliukas was as close as Rangers came to equalising and McCoist then opted to pitch Seb Faure, Kyle Hutton and Nicky Clark into the action.



The game was beyond Rangers when substitute Ronnie Argueta ran clear through on goal, rounded Bell and cracked the ball expertly high into the empty net. Ventura’s giant substitute keeper Isaiah Castro then stopped Boyd getting a goal back, before Mohsni duly did by heading in an Aird corner with nine minutes remaining.

