So often last season a 0-0 draw on home soil proved enough for the Bears but they would no doubt have liked to travel to Lithuania next week with at least a one-goal lead in the bag.
It was not to be on this occasion even although the gaffer’s starting line-up was attack minded.
Kenny Miller was handed his second Gers’ debut against FBK after facing the same club in 2000 and he lined up alongside Jean Claude Darcheville.
Former Kaunas man Andrius Velicka was named on the bench and he, along with Kris Boyd, were both thrown on in the second-half but could not get on the scoresheet.
As expected, Kevin Thomson recovered from a minor knee knock and Lee McCulloch had shaken off a throat infection to also take their place in the starting eleven.
Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’ made a welcome return to the pre-match playlist but, in truth, Rangers failed to turn on the style in this match.
Indeed, two speculative long-range efforts from Rafael Ledesma and former Jambo Linas Pilibaitis were the only shots on either goal in the opening 15 minutes.
Moments later, however, the home side carved open the first real goalscoring opportunity of the game.
Charlie Adam, operating on the left flank, dinked a clever pass over the Kaunas defence to the unmarked Miller.
The club’s new signing controlled the ball neatly on his chest but his tame shot, which beat keeper Marian Kello, was cleared easily by a Kaunas defender before it reached the goal line.
Sasa Papac once again proved to be Rangers most composed player on the night and the Bosnian left-back pushed forward at every given opportunity to support the midfield.
On 32 minutes he crossed deep to Lee McCulloch but Jig struggled to control his shot with his outstretched right boot.
The same duo combined two minutes later when Papac again delivered deep and big Lee rose above his marker before heading narrowly wide from 15 yards.
Rangers finished the half well and should have got their noses in front before the interval.
On 40 minutes Miller played a great ball through to Darcheville who had used his pace to get evade the Kaunas defenders.
The Frenchman took the ball around the on rushing keeper and looked odds on to score but his weak left-foot shot trundled towards goal and was booted out for a corner.
Another good move two minutes later saw McCulloch find Miller at the back post.
The Gers’ no 18 headed it into the path of Adam but his low shot from 20-yards was skewed wide.
Overall, the first-half was a disappointing spectacle but Rangers improved as it went on and Smith decided to build on this momentum by making his first substitution with Nacho Novo replacing Christian Dailly for the restart.
Ledesma was seen as being the main man for Jose Couceiro’s side prior to this game but it was the Brazilian’s diving ability which made him the target for the Ibrox boo boys minutes into the second-half.
The Kaunas’ no. 11 took a tumble under after a non-existent challenge but as soon as he saw around eight paramedics running on to the field with a stretcher he jumped to his feet and quickly resumed playing.
With the game opening up Kevin Thomson was not far away with a low shot from 25 yards which smashed off the advertising boards in front of the Copland Road Stand.
Tempers were rarely freyed on the night but McCulloch was to receive the first yellow card of the match before the hour mark for a late challenge on Vytautas Luksa which did merit a booking.
Kaunas then made their first substitution on 62 minutes with Nukri Manchkava on for Ledesma.
But in almost the next attack Whittaker fed the ball through to Miller and the striker’s powerful shot was palmed away for a corner by Kello.
On 64 minutes the Rangers fans were on their feet when Darcheville was replaced by the club’s prolific hitman Kris Boyd.
He was soon joined on the pitch by Velicka but could either could either get a goal so desperately needed before next week’s trip to Lithuania?
The answer on the night was no but teammates McCulloch and Adam did try to break the deadlock with two raking shots in the moments that followed.
The first was inches wide whereas Adam’s speculative effort almost caught Kello off guard but the keeper dived to his left to divert the ball around his near post.
At this stage it was all Gers but all that was missing was a final killer pass.
Unfortunately a goal was not to come and despite Rangers dominating the remainder of the game a lack of invention was to prove costly.
Rangers will remain confident of going through after last season’s Euro heroics but a nervy 90 minutes could be on the cards.