Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Hibernian earlier in the day saw the gap at the top of the table close to five points but with tough trips to Pittodrie and Dens Park on the horizon, the Light Blues will have to perform substantially better if they are to progress in the CIS Cup and maintain their SPL challenge.
After a fairly uninspiring start that did little to raise the mood around Ibrox on a miserably wet day, Rangers had gone in front from their first real period of sustained pressure.
Chris Burke – who else? – was the supplier with a deep corner that Craig Moore headed back for Prso to nod beyond Mark Brown.
On their first ever visit to Ibrox, Caley must have feared an onslaught with Rangers belatedly ending a three-game scoring drought but, in front of a boisterous travelling support, it was the Highland side that looked most likely to score next.
They had signalled their intent to attack as early as the 10th minute when Barry Wilson fired in a drive that whistled narrowly past Stefan Klos’ post and they threatened again minutes after the opening goal, with Mo Ross hacking away a dangerous Wilson cross with Roy McBain lurking.
On a depressingly dreich day in Glasgow with the rain continuing to pour from the heavens, the disposition of the home support wasn’t helped by an erratic display from linesman Andrew Seymour who proceeded to make a hash of several decisions including flagging for offside when Peter Lovenkrands received the ball from a throw-in.
With that in mind, it was perhaps not surprising that it took until 29 minutes before Rangers were able to penetrate a well-organised Caley defence from open play when, in a rare slick passing movement, Fernando Ricksen fed Nacho Novo who in turn released the ever willing Burke.
A crude challenge from Grant Munro halted that advance, with Brown doing well to get his body behind a ferocious thump from Paolo Vanoli from the resulting free kick.
At 1-0 Inverness were still very much still in the game and Rangers survived a near scare when Ross somehow contrived to head a seemingly innocuous cross off his own crossbar before Dragan Mladenovic was stretchered off after a tackle from behind by Juanjo.
The Light Blues weren’t on the back foot for too long, however, and Brown’s crossbar was rattled after 34 minutes by Jean-Alain Boumsong’s header after yet another precise corner from Burke.
Word that Celtic had been held by Hibernian filtered around Ibrox at half-time and Rangers sought to take advantage of that slip when play recommenced after the break.
It was the visitors though who had the first real chance of the second half and Richard Hart should perhaps have at least hit the target after being set free on goal by Stuart Golabek.
Rangers responded well with a stinging Ricksen free kick well palmed over by Brown and moments later it should have been 2-0, Lovenkrands somehow heading over from a matter of yards after Boumsong had nodded Novo’s cross against the bar.
Not to be outdone by his Main Stand counterpart, the far side linesman, Brian McDuffie, was soon suffering the ire of the home support with a series of questionable offside decisions while Mr Seymour showed he was more incompetent than biased by denying Inverness a clear corner after Klos a visibly tipped a dipping shot over his crossbar.
The sight of Rangers clinging on to the three points against the side newly-promoted from the First Division told its own story before Munro’s second yellow card late in the game killed any chance of a shock equaliser.
RANGERS (4-4-2): 1 Klos; 21 Ross (Khizanishvili 46), 4 Boumsong, 3 Moore, 16 Vanoli; 17 Burke, 2 Ricksen, 14 Mladenovic (Hughes 34), 26 Lovenkrands; 9 Prso, 10 Novo (Arveladze 60)
Subs not used: Smith, Vignal, McLean, McCormack
Booked: Vanoli (40)
INVERNESS (4-4-2): 1 Brown; 2 Tokely, 5 McCaffrey, 14 Munro, 3 Golabek; 7 Wilson, 15 Keogh, 10 Hart, 6 McBain; 11 Juanjo (Prunty 76), 9 Bayne (Hislop 59)
Subs not used: Fraser, Dods, Duncan, Proctor, Black
Booked: Munro (29), Tokely (62), Keogh (79)
Sent off: Munro (90)
Rangers’ Man of the Match: Fernando Ricksen