Stunned Rangers left to rue late Rae raid

Dick Advocaat, the Rangers manager, looked shell-shocked last night after seeing his side lose for the first time in 13 Premier League games.

Dick Advocaat, the Rangers manager, looked shell-shocked last night after seeing his side lose for the first time in 13 Premier League games.

A goal in stoppage time from Gavin Rae on his 22nd birthday gave Dundee a 2-1 victory at Ibrox. The Scotland Under-21 midfielder took a pass from Steven Boyack on his chest before finding the corner.

After their midweek Uefa Cup victory over Borussia Dortmund, Rangers' performance was a huge disappointment, and Advocaat offered no excuses for a below-par display. "I have to give credit to Dundee, they worked their socks off," he said. "We had an opportunity to come back when we were given a penalty but unfortunately we missed it.

"Dundee were committed and we were not. It was like a cup final for them, although we had a number of good chances. It was a good shot by their player for the winning goal but someone should have picked him up."

Rangers looked strangely lethargic yesterday. Dundee's on-loan defender Craig Ireland put his side ahead in the 14th minute. Shaun McSkimming played in a corner from the right and the big centre-half was left unmarked at the back post. He steered a powerful header beyond Thomas Myhre and into the corner.

Dundee's keeper Robert Douglas prevented Rangers from drawing level when he parried a penalty from Jörg Albertz in the 53rd minute. Steven Tweed was punished for bundling over Neil McCann and despite the defender's protests, the referee pointed to the spot. Albertz tried to place it but Douglas, who had an outstanding day, got down quickly to make a superb block.

Rod Wallace levelled the scores with 20 minutes to go. Advocaat had brought on the striker Gordon Durie for the midfield man Claudio Reyna in a bold attempt to grab the equaliser, and his side drew level when Wallace tapped the ball in after McCann's header from an Andrei Kanchelskis cross had rattled the post

It was Dundee's first league victory over Rangers in 13 years and their manager, Jocky Scott, was thrilled at the manner they achieved it.

"It was a great result and a great performance," he said. "I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory. "Our attitude has always been great but in past games we have given the ball away far too often and not taken our chances."

"It was a very good birthday present," Rae said. "I was just pleased to hit the target with the shot. Linking up with the international squad was a brilliant experience for me and has helped my confidence no end."

As for the other Dundee goalscorer, Scott is hoping to seal central defender Ireland's £50,000 permanent move from Dunfermline later this week.

Meanwhile, the Rangers pair of Darius Adamczuk and Craig Moore could be absent from the CIS Insurance League Cup game against Aberdeen on Wednesday. Adamczuk needed stitches in a head wound after a clash with Shaun McSkimming, while Moore came off with cramp.

Goals: Ireland (14) 0-1; Wallace (70) 1-1; Rae (90) 1-2.

Rangers: Myhre, Adamczuk (Vidmar, 24), Moore (Kanchelskis, 37), Amoruso, Numan, Reyna (Durie, 63), Ferguson, Albertz, McCann, Wallace, Johansson. Substitutes not used: Nicholson, Brown (gk).

Dundee: Douglas, Van Eijs, Smith, Tweed, Ireland, McSkimming, Boyack, Rae, Billio (Robertson, 83), Annand, Grady (Bayne, 87). Substitutes not used: Langfield (gk), Sharp, Wilkie.

Referee: M McCurry.

Bookings: Rangers: Johansson, McCann, Durie. Dundee: Ireland, Billio, McSkimming, Van Eijs.

Man of the match: Douglas.

Attendance: 47,154.