Lewis Stewart was on the scoresheet for the young Gers with a terrific strike in the first-half, but it was to no avail as the Lowland League East outfit found the winning goal in the second period.
Malky Thomson could count upon eight of the Academy’s loan contingent for the trip to the capital, six of whom were given the nod from the off.
One of those, Callum Burnside, who recently joined Airdrieonians on loan, was involved straight from the off when his initial shot was blocked and Josh Gentles swept over from a tight angle.
The midfielder blazed over moments later after Gentles did well to pinch possession high up the pitch, while he was at the heart of the action again when he exchanged passes and the ball fell kindly to Zander Hutton who could only side foot his finish inside the penalty area straight down the throat of the goalkeeper.
At the other end, the away side were grateful to Rydnn McGuire, who recently signed a contract extension at the club, when Jordan Smith sprung from the offside trap and was thwarted by a sprawling save from the 17-year-old.
Despite Rangers’ early pressure, there was no denying the growing influence of the hosts, and they capitalised on 25 minutes when a cross from the right was met by Smith and his diving header nestled into the far corner and out of the reach of McGuire.
It was ever so important that the Gers sought a response in the first half, and it arrived six minutes before the interval.
The move was kept alive on the left-hand side as Stewart exchanged passes with Conor Owen and the Queen’s Park loanee found the bottom corner with a low rasping effort from the edge of the penalty box.
Stewart ought to have perhaps completed the turnaround just three minutes later.
The away side sprung forward on the counter-attack, and after neat hold-up play from Gentles found Burnside on the right, his pass inside to Stewart was turned over the top from close-range.
The duo of Burnside and Stewart were wreaking particular havoc, and they began the second period by combining when Burnside fired an effort through a crowd of bodies which was repelled down low by the hosts’ goalkeeper.
Rangers continued to pour forward in search of a second as Zander Hutton drove an effort into the ground which was collected by the goalkeeper at the second attempt.
However, the home side restored their advantage just 60 seconds later when a deep delivery was initially blocked by Arran Kerr before the ball fell to Laurie Devine who dispatched beyond McGuire.
Thomson turned to his substitutes bench with a quarter of an hour remaining when Zebedee Lawson and Corey Ngwenya replaced Gentles and Owen respectively.
Burnside then blasted over from 20 yards after patient approach play from the Gers.
Max Cameron was then summoned from the bench, but it wasn’t to be for Rangers as the referee soon blew the full-time whistle.
RANGERS: McGuire, Z. Hutton, Wyllie, Owen (Ngwenya, 75), Kerr (Cameron, 82), McCallion, Smith (Rankin, 45), Burnside, Glasgow (Crilly, 63), Stewart, Gentles (Lawson, 75)
Subs not used: Thackray, Reid, Young, B. Hutton
BONNYRIGG ROSE: Anderson, Laing, Martin, Watson, Martyniuk, Currie, Dowling, Bryce, Scott (Walker, 83), Devine, Smith
Subs not used: Pekala, Gaylor, Armstrong, Barnet, Waldman, Burgess
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