Rangers endured a difficult start to life in the Scottish Third Division as they were forced to scrap for a last-minute 2-2 draw at Peterhead. Ally McCoist, had few positives to take home on the long journey south to Glasgow, criticising his side's defending, which he felt cost them dearly in their opening match in the lowest professional tier of Scottish football.

"I was relieved to get a point after the game," the Rangers manager said. "I thought we defended appallingly to be honest. We didn't match their aggression. If the boys at any time thought this was going to be a cake-walk, they know where they are now.

"It's the first game, we're not going to start panicking. Poor defending is a concern but we can certainly create and score goals. I have to give enormous credit to Peterhead and [the manager] Jim McInally. They played superbly."

Barrie McKay scored his first Rangers goal, before second-half strikes from Rory McAllister and Scott McLaughlin saw Peterhead, the club from the Aberdeenshire town with a population of 17,500, surge into the lead. Ranger's saviour at the 4,000-capacity Balmoor, Andy Little, scored a late equaliser to spare Rangers the ignominy of losing their first match as a newco club, the first league fixture they have ever played outside the top flight of Scottish football.

Rangers were forced into the bottom tier after the club was liquidated in the summer and lost their place in the Premier League after a vote of the 12 clubs. Following such a turbulent period in their 140-year history, the meeting with the Blue Toon was seen as the first step on the road to recovery.