But having performed admirably before the break the good work put in was undone in the second period when Maribor bounced back with Agim Ibraimi levelling on 52 minutes before substitute Etien Velikonja flicked home a cruel winner in injury time.
McCoist will no doubt be hugely frustrated after the final whistle, especially with the way his side conceded two sloppy goals.
And the result now means that Rangers have it all to do next week at Ibrox if they are to progress through to the group stage of the Europa League.
Carlos Bocanegra was handed his debut tonight after clinching a move from St Etienne yesterday.
Juan Ortiz celebratesThe American international captain only arrived at the team’s hotel at 11 am this morning after he travelled through the night but he put in an assured display alongside Dorin Goian.
Lee McCulloch also returned to the side having recovered from a knee injury although there was further disappointment for Jamie Ness who was ruled out because of a groin problem.
Thankfully the soaring afternoon temperature, which hit 31 degrees, had cooled off considerably as darkness descended on the Slovenia’s second largest city.
Conditions were perfect for kick-off but with not even a minute played Maribor showed their threat.
Bocanegro was caught in possession by Robert Beric and the forward produced a dangerous cross from the right wing which was eventually cleared.
Rangers, however, immediately pushed men forward following this scare and when Nikica Jelavic picked the ball up in a good position on the right channel he tried a swerving, first time effort which would have been a goal of the season contender if it had come off.
It was end to end football and with seven minutes on the clock the impressive Dejan Mezga found striker Dalibor Volas with an intelligent pass but Maribor’s no 17 shot wildly over the bar from 20 yards.
The visitors then looked to counter and had a decent spell of possession along with a couple of goalscoring opportunites.
Jelavic could not get enough purchase on a 20 yard effort after good link up play with the lively Naismith.
Moments later the latter was played in brilliantly by Broadfoot but Naisy’s low delivery flew across the six yard box and was cleared nervously by Maribor defender Aleksander Rajcevic.
From the resulting corner the ball fell twice to the feet of Jelavic but his first effort was blocked and his second was scuffed wide from eight yards.
The Gers number nine was proving a handful though and on 20 minutes a burst of pace took him beyond stunned left back Mitja Viler and his back post cross dropped to Edu on the edge of the 18 yard box.
Mo looked to shoot but having cut inside two Maribor players quickly closed him down.
Darko Milanic’s defence was looking shaky and when Gers skipper Steven Davis floated a deep cross in to the danger area Lee McCulloch nodded down a header but keeper Jasmin Handanovic made an easy stop from a Jelavic shot on the spin.
The signs were there that Rangers could get the away goal they so desperately craved and on the half hour mark it arrived.
Ortiz sprayed a great pass out to the marauding Broadfoot who beat Viler with a drop of the shoulder to get to the line.
His teasing delivery found the Spaniard at the back post and he hit the net from six yards with what appeared to be his shin.
With their noses in front Rangers went quickly in search of a second and they should have got it.
Edu did brilliantly to win the ball midway inside Maribor’s half and he fed it to Jelavic but his first time shot went wide when he should have done better.
On 37 minutes Naismith was the first recipient of a yellow card for a late shoulder challenge and just seconds later Maribor won a free-kick twenty yards out.
Juan Ortiz celebratesIt was Mezga that tried his luck from the set piece and his dipping, right footed free-kick dipped over the wall and skimmed the side netting with McGregor scrambling across his goal.
This was to be the bit of action from a pulsating first half in which Rangers were perhaps unlucky not to be more goals up.
With Naismith booked McCoist made his first change for the restart with Kyle Lafferty replacing the Scotland star behind Jelavic as Rangers looked to retain the shape that had served them well up to that point.
But on 52 minutes it was game on again as Maribor netted a shock equaliser.
Macedonian midfielder Ibraimi was given too much time and space and he blasted a shot past McGregor at his near post with the keeper diving helplessly to his left.
The goal will have frustrated the Gers coaching staff who highlighted Ibraimi as a danger man for the Slovenian champions in the build up and his accuracy with his cultured left boot.
The tie was now turned on its head and before the hour mark the home side missed a glaring opportunity to take the lead.
Ibraimi this time was the architect with a whipped cross from the left and Beric somehow headed wide from just six yards.
The Purples were now a different team and another Ibraimi cross was met by Dalibor Valos but McGregor was there to make an instinctive stop.
Rangers, however kept probing and a powerful 30 yard drive from Edu went inches past the post with Handanovic well beaten.
On 70 minutes Jelavic looked for a penalty after Brazilian defender Arghus had pulled him to the ground but the ref waved away his pleas and Maribor went on a counter attack which led to free-kick in a dangerous position.
Again Mezga set his sights but his effort flew wide of target.
With time ticking down the game a few long range efforts were fired in on goal but it looked as if the match would finish tied until the first minute of injury time.
Mezga skipped past two players on the right and his low cross in to the box was cleverly flicked in to the net by Velikonja.
It was a suckerpunch blow for the 300 Bears that had travelled to Slovenia and for McCoist who looked a dejected figure as he walked across the pitch to the tunnel after the final whistle.
He will wonder how his team did not come away with at least a draw from this game but it is still just half time and, on tonight’s evidence, Rangers will feel that they can get the goals they need at Ibrox to progress to the group phase of the Europa League.