As these games usually are, this was another pulsating clash and a draw was probably a fair result.
But Gers will probably feel aggrieved to an extent as a number of decisions by referee Iain Brines went against them when they really shouldn’t have.
The whistler, who so often adopts an aggressive approach when dealing with players, infuriated players on both sides with some erratic officiating.
Away manager Walter Smith made two changes to the side that beat Hamilton 7-1 at Ibrox last week, but Allan McGregor wasn’t one of the players to drop out.
There had been media speculation he would make way for Neil Alexander after his mistake gave Accies a shock lead but he kept his place.
As it was, Madjid Bougherra was left out after he failed a fitness test and DaMarcus Beasley moved to the bench, with Kirk Broadfoot and Lee McCulloch coming in.
Tannadice hasn’t been a forgiving venue in recent times and the Light Blues went into the match without a win there in more than two and a half years.
But they started brightly as they looked to change that and Kenny Miller played Kris Boyd in but he took a heavy touch and Lukasz Zaluska raced out to gather the ball.
It wasn’t long until Gers went in front and it was Boyd, with 18 career goals against the Arabs already, who did the damage.
Lee McCulloch sent a smart ball out to the right wing and Steven Whittaker played back into the danger area.
He picked out Steven Davis and his clever dummy allowed Boyd to turn on the edge of the box then fire low into the corner with his left foot.
That rattled the hosts and a Pedro Mendes header led to confusion in the Arabs defence, with Garry Kenneth’s interception only going past his own keeper.
Luckily for the young defender, the ball trickled a yard past the post as well when it looked like it might sneak in.
Rangers were dictating play and their probing football might have had led to a second, had Boyd decided to shoot himself rather than set up Miller.
Back came United, who began to force mistakes from the visiting defence but couldn’t make the most of it.
Kenneth won a corner off David Weir and when Craig Conway swung it in, McGregor saved really well from Jon Daly before Mendes scrambled away.
In response, McCulloch sent a lovely ball down the left flank for Miller to chase but rather than cut back, he crossed into the middle with no takers waiting.
Davis then picked out Miller after Boyd got lucky when the ball bounced off his foot but the striker was offside when he took possession.
Miller was so close to making it 2-0 when Davis lifted the ball forward and he got in between Lee Wilkie and Zaluska to lob goalwards.
He then followed it up in a bid to poke over the line but the United pair went with him and somehow forced it clear.
Boyd was next to try his luck with half-time approaching as Gers showed they were coping with the wet conditions far better than their opponents.
But he was flagged offside when he appeared to break the trap and only had Zaluska to beat from 12 yards.
The second half started with neither changes to either side and the onus was on Craig Levein’s men to force the issue.
Daly tried his best with a glancing header after Conway centred from the left but McGregor appeared to have it covered as it went wide.
Four minutes after the restart, the keeper was beaten as Paul Dixon burst down the left and crossed deep to Wilkie, who shot back across goal and in.
Rangers charged upfield in a bid to restore their advantage and Miller had a penalty claim waved away when he went down under Mihael Kovacevic’s challenge.
The disappointment at having it turned down multiplied seconds later when United, having trailed just a few minutes earlier, went 2-1 up.
Dixon was again the supplier, swinging in and finding Warren Feeney who got ahead of both McCulloch and McGregor to score from close range.
That was the cue for Gers to lay siege to the United goal and Boyd and Miller both had efforts blocked before Lafferty was thrown on for McCulloch.
Whittaker then collected a deep ball from Sasa Papac but his drilled cross went past everyone and away from the United woodwork.
Nacho Novo was also introduced for Miller as the match lurched into the final quarter with the Ibrox side still trailing.
And with that, at last, Smith’s team found a way back in, with Lafferty scoring for the second game in succession.
Mendes started the move off, playing to Novo and looking on as the Spaniard hurdled a challenge and teed up the Northern Ireland hitman.
He shaped to shoot with his right foot and did just enough to beat Zaluska and make it 2-2.
With just under quarter of an hour remaining, it was all to play for and Lafferty shot again from 25 yards, with Zaluska tipping away.
Barry Ferguson was also blocked as Gers chased a winner to make it four victories in five matches.
Boyd hit a fierce free kick into the wall after Novo was fouled by Kenneth before Mendes curled inches wide without the outside of his foot.
Time was running out but if someone looked like getting a winner, it was a more forceful Rangers side.
Ferguson headed just past and Whittaker’s half-volley landed on the top of the under rather than underneath it.
That was as close to a winner as Gers came and after making up ground in the title race last week, they fell behind again as the score remained level.