Goals from David Templeton (2) and Robbie Crawford gave the visitors a 3-1 New Year victory and few would argue it wasn’t deserved.
With several players unavailable Ally McCoist had to shuffle his pack and ten of the 16 players listed in Rangers squad came through the club’s youth academy.
In total McCoist made three changes to his starting eleven with Barrie McKay dropping to the bench and skipper Lee McCulloch and Emilson Cribari ruled out.
This meant Darren Cole was in at right back but it was to be a frustrating afternoon for the defender who was stretchered off with an ankle injury at the start of the second half.
It is, however, hoped it is just bruising and he will not be out of action for too long.
Annan started the match positively but it was Alex Mitchell who had to make the first save after two minutes when Templeton’s powerful shot from 20 yards was well held by the number one.
On 19 minutes a silly challenge by Ian Black on Chris Jardine resulted in referee Stephen Finnie booking the combative midfielder who could have no complaints.
Rangers started to push more bodies up the park and on 25 minutes they took the lead with a fortuitous goal.
After good work from Sandaza, Templeton picked the ball up wide on the left.
He used his pace to get beyond right back John Blake and his deep cross crept in at the back post with Mitchell at full stretch.
The winger was again showing his quality and with Annan trying to regroup after going behind his delightful reverse pass found stand-in skipper Wallace but his cross had to be booted clear.
From the resulting corner Mitchell came from his line but flapped at the cross and Fran Sandaza’s downward header from eight yards bounced once before hitting the cross bar.
At this stage it looked certain Rangers would be the team to hit the net again but on 34 minutes Annan replied with an identical goal to Templeton’s.
Ally Love worked hard to create space down the left against Cole and, with seemingly nowhere to go, he managed to send a looping cross over Neil Alexander’s head and into the net.
The goal gave the Annan players and fans a lift and after levelling Love then tried his luck from 18 yards but his connection was poor and the ball trundled harmlessly across goal.
Into the second half and Rangers suffered a set back when Cole was stretchered off within ten minutes.
The right back twisted his left ankle when challenging Love for the ball and immediately signalled to come off. Sebastien Faure took his place in the side.
When the play eventually resumed Rangers looked to regain control and a left foot drive from Crawford went a foot wide of target.
On 62 minutes, however, the youngster made no mistake.
Templeton’s cross was missed by Black but the ball fell nicely in the box for the Murray Park kid who arrowed his shot low into the opposite corner of Mitchell’s net.
It was yet another fine finish from the midfielder who has shown great composure in front of goal this season.
Rangers continued to put pressure on Annan’s goal in the latter stages and Templeton grabbed a third to complete the scoring.
After dropping his shoulder to get away from a defender he tried his luck from distance and his luck was in.
The ball took a wicked deflection off a defender and completely wrong footed Mitchell who could only watch on as the ball flew into the net as he fell to the ground.
ANNAN: Mitchell; Blake, McGowan, Monaghan, Swinglehurst, Sloan (Donley 73), Love (Hopkirk 64), Jardine, Daly, Chaplain, Steele (McKechnie 73) SUBS: Summersgill, Thorburn
BOOKINGS: None
RANGERS: Alexander; Cole (Faure 53), Hegarty, Perry, Wallace; Hutton; Little, Crawford, Black, Templeton (McKay 84); Sandaza
SUBS: Currie, Aird, Hemmings
BOOKINGS: Black (19), Perry (50)
REF: Stephen Finnie