Boasting an average age of just 17.9 in their starting line-up, Rangers began well against a vastly more experienced Dees side, with Dens Park first-team regulars Daryll Megatt, Nicky Low and Craig Wighton featuring for the visitors.
The lively Liam Burt fired a shot just wide of the target after good work from Jordan Gibson saw him rob Ben Priest of the ball before feeding one of his many attacking partners.
A neat one-two from Burt and Jamie Barjonas then saw Scott Roberts fed the ball, but as he burst through and beat goalkeeper David Mitchell, the linesman’s flag denied him yet another goal in somewhat tight circumstances.
Against the run of play however, Dundee took the lead.
Winning the ball in midfield, Jesse Curren found the run of Nicky Low, and he fired the ball into the net and beyond the outstretched Robby McCrorie.
Soon afterwards, it was 2-0 as twice in quick succession the ball was gifted to Arturo in a dangerous area before he fed the unmarked Ryan Gemmell at the back post to fire beyond McCrorie once more and undo all of Rangers’ good early work.
As half time approached, Ian Durrant’s side very nearly grabbed a lifeline when confusion in the visiting defence allowed Jordan Gibson to pick up the loose ball, but from just six yards out, he was denied at point-blank range by Dees ‘keeper David Mitchell.
Into the second half, and as the Light Blues looked for a bright start to try and claw their way back into the match, they were dealt a hammerblow as Low grabbed his second of the night with a thundering 35-yard drive from distance that beat McCrorie all ends up.
Teammate Arturo tried a similar effort minutes later as Dundee chased more goals, but his effort bounced down off the crossbar and into McCrorie’s welcoming gloves.
A fourth goal was to follow however, and once again from a Rangers perspective it was gifted all too easily to the visitors.
In trying to control a very heavy Jason Krones back-pass on his chest, Robby McCrorie accidentally played the ball straight into the path of the incoming Arturo, and he fired a first time effort low under the Gers goalkeeper as he tried to make amends.
There was a bright moment to come though with eight minutes left as Gers pulled a goal back through Scott Roberts.
A Dylan Dykes free-kick was met at the back post by David Brownlie, and he nodded the ball back into the path of Mekhi McLeod whose effort was blocked on the line but only as far as Scott Roberts who rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
That gave Rangers a new lease of life, and in the final minute of the match, they pulled another goal back through Gibson who never stopped running for the entire night.
Winning the ball in midfield with an excellent tackle, the young Englishman sprinted 40 yards beyond chasing defenders with the ball before rounding goalkeeper David Mitchell to further reduce Rangers’ arrears.
Overall however, this was a disappointing night for the Light Blues’ under-20s side, but they must now pick themselves up ahead of the return Development League match with Dundee in Montrose on Thursday afternoon.
RANGERS: McCrorie: Sinnamon, Brownlie, Krones, Mills: Barjonas (Brandon, 68), Thomson (McLeod, 68), Burt (Dykes, 60); Lyon, Gibson, Roberts.
SUBS NOT USED: Wright, Jeffries, White, Currie.
DUNDEE: Mitchell, Dryden, Meggatt, Waddell, Priest, Low, Black, Curran, Arturo, Wighton, Gemmell.
SUBS: Gourlay, Gibb, Warwick, Clark, Colquhoun, Gallacher.