Despite training on the park yesterday, Rangers still looked uncomfortable on the synthetic surface and Dunfermline took full advantage.
They signalled their intent from the start and within 60 seconds Stefan Klos was forced into his first save of the afternoon when Gary Mason sent in a wild cross that would have dipped under the bar had the German not reacted.
The next time Der Goalie touched the ball though he was picking it out of his net after Stevie Crawford opened the scoring.
As always he linked up well with Craig Brewster and when the former Hibs striker’s flick unlocked the Rangers defence Crawford broke through to chip Klos form just inside the box.
The Light Blues had a chance to level the score two minutes later when Andy Tod upended Michael Mols on the edge of the box but Michael Ball’s shot, from the resultant free kick went high over Stillie’s bar.
In the 24th minute Chris Burke did well to make space for himself wide on the right. But after beating three Pars players he perhaps picked the wrong option of shooting himself, when there were several Gers players better placed in the box for the cross.
The visitors probably enjoyed their best spell of the half in the run up to the break and were playing some decent football on the artificial turf, but unfortunately they just couldn’t produce that killer touch in front of goal.
It was clear things weren’t working for the visitors and Alex McLeish reshuffled his pack by replacing Nuno Capucho with Egil Ostenstad at the start of the second period.
Whether or not Rangers were now accustomed to the surface or simply the manager had told them in no uncertain terms what was expected for the final 45 minutes, the Light Blues had much more purpose about them.
In the 53rd minute Peter Lovenkrands, who had switched sides with Chris Burke, delivered an excellent cross from the right and Andy Tod did well to block Mols getting a tap in.
Three minutes later Rangers probably had their best chance of the game so far when Paolo Vanoli whipped in a dangerous corner from the right but and unmarked Henning Berg was caught off guard at the back post and headed wide of Stillie’s goal.
With 15 minutes remaining Bob Malcolm linked well with substitute Shota Arveladze but the young Scot slipped just as he was about to shoot and the ball trickled out for a goal kick.
McLeish wasn’t keen to risk the Georgian this afternoon due to the surface and his recent knee problem but after coming on he definitely made a difference.
In the 78th minute Vanoli crossed and Arveladze unleashed a left-footed volley, which was heading for the bottom corner of Stillie’s goal, before being deflected for a corner.
But things went form bad to worse for the Light Blues in the 83rd minute when Paolo Vanoli scored an own goal.
After Rangers failed to clear a Dunfermline cross from the left the Italian tried to pass back to Stefan Klos, but he was clearly unaware of the goalie’s position and it rolled into the net.
DUNFERMLINE: Stillie, Skerla, Tod, Wilson, Bullen, Nicholson, Mason, Darren Young, Derek Young (Dempsey 65), Crawford, Brewster (Hunt 77)
Subs: Ruitenbeek, MacNicol, McDermott
Bookings:
RANGERS: Klos, Ricksen, Berg, Ball, Vanoli, Burke, Malcolm, Hughes, Lovenkrands, Capucho (Ostenstad 45), Mols (Arveladze 72)
Subs: McGregor, Ross, Gibson
Bookings: Ricksen 29
Ref: Alan Freeland