Dundee 2 Rangers 2: Dark Blues dig deep to bring an end to error-strewn Rangers’ winning streak

Asked on Friday if it was imperative that his side applied pressure to their rivals by winning the day before they faced off, Derek McInnes claimed that it was too early to talk about turning up the heat.

With the first lap of the track in the Premiership race still to be completed, the Rangers manager probably had a point.

Nonetheless, this will still feel like an opportunity lost for the Ibrox men as they prepare to pull up a chair and watch Celtic and Hearts go toe-to-toe at Parkhead.

Even after a wretched few days, Martin O’Neill’s side will still walk out on top of the table with scope to increase their lead. Should they do so, Rangers will only have themselves to blame.

For the Ibrox men to stand any chance of knocking their city rivals off their perch come May, they cannot let too many chances like this one slip through their hands.

With no European football to concern them this season, McInnes’ men will be up first in many a weekend card until January at least.

If those opportunities to apply pressure are not taken, it’s extremely hard to see how their challenge stays on course.

This was a jarring night for the Ibrox men. Since that dark evening when they lost on penalties to Jablonec, eight straight wins had been chalked up — seven of them in the Premiership.

They just didn’t do enough to add another victory to the ledger and with it assume top spot in the Premiership overnight.

You had to hand it to Dundee. Steven Pressley could fill a hospital wing with the walking wounded right now. His depleted side did extraordinarily well to dig out victories against Motherwell and Falkirk. This share of the spoils will feel like another huge step in the right direction.

It was a frustrating episode for McInnes. He witnessed two magnificent goals from Badredine Bouanani and Nico Raskin but was left to rue two errors.

The first, an uncharacteristic lapse by Dujon Sterling, allowed Bradley Fink to hand Dundee the lead.

Having done the hard part and got their noses in front, Dan Neil erred horribly on the edge of his own box to allow Callum Jones to square an engrossing encounter.

Dundee started well. Drey Wright’s smart ball over the top fashioned their first chance. Ash Hay’s touch was heavy and the chance to work Ivor Pandur was lost.

Hay’s ability to link the play was evidenced when he chested the ball into the path of Alan Forrest. Pandur was right behind the winger’s tame strike.

Dundee forced three early corners. Pressley will have been bemused that his side didn’t make more of them. Ryan Astley’s strike, straight at Pandur, was as good as it got.

Rangers were struggling to penetrate. Bouanani did well to dart to the line and drill the ball across goal. Dundee keeper Owen Goodman stretched out a leg and the danger was gone.

With a third of the game gone, the home side looked more threatening. After Astley had forced Pandur to tip his header from distance over, Hay thumped the crossbar with a header from Ethan Hamilton’s corner.

Bouanani threaded a gem of a ball between two Dundee defenders to pick out Sterling. There was nothing wrong with the cutback. There was plenty wrong with Neil’s attempt to convert when the ball fell to him just inside the box. His strike lacked conviction and accuracy.

Pandur’s latest attempt to build from the back by playing a straight ball to Kim Min-su was risky. Hamilton nipped in and fired just wide of the Croatian’s goal.

Coming on 37 minutes, Dundee’s opener was hardly ill-deserved. A long ball found the Rangers defence at sixes and sevens. Hay strived to get it under control. Just when it seemed to be getting away from him, Sterling intervened with a loose touch and inadvertently knocked it into Fink’s path.

The Swiss thought about chipping the keeper, sidestepped him and found the net via the inside of the near post.

Rangers were immediately grateful for the pace of Olwethu Makhanya as he lengthened his stride to prevent Joe Bevan making it two.

The visitors then awoke from their slumbers, levelling two minutes from half-time.

Kim’s initial shot was blocked by Owen Bevan. When the ball was recycled to Bouanani on the right, the winger’s first attempt was charged down by Imari Samuels.

Undaunted, the Algerian curled the ball into the top left corner to ensure his side were level at the break. For all it took a slight deflection, it was a brilliant hit. Quite the moment for the winger to claim his first Rangers goal.

Disjointed and careless on the ball for 45 minutes, there was an expectation that Rangers would improve after the break. This was not misplaced.

Kim’s dancing feet opened up the target. His shot was inches wide.

The forward then cushioned the ball into Bouanani’s path with his chest. Goodman did well to tip the shot away for a corner.

Djeidi Gassama was next to work the Dundee keeper with a low shot through a packed penalty box.

When Dundee finally came up for air, Fink met Jones’ free-kick at the back post. He ought to have got more on his header.

Rangers completed the turnaround on the hour mark. It was another peach. Taking the ball from Neil 25 yards out, Raskin must have been the only man in the ground who thought that shooting was his best option. What did the rest of us know?

Lashing the ball in off the underside of the crossbar with very little back-lift, it was a stunning contribution from the Belgian.

McInnes seemingly had the response he wanted. Bouanani forced Goodman into another fine stop.

Dundee needed to produce something special to level. Failing that, an error by a Rangers player would have been just as welcome. Step forward Neil.

Trying to control a routine ball on the edge of his own box, the midfielder completely fluffed his lines, a heavy touch giving Jones the chance to pounce.

Alert to the situation, the midfielder took full advantage. Having taken one touch to put himself in control of the situation, he slotted home beyond the advancing Pandur. Neil could only look to the heavens.

Rangers huffed and puffed thereafter. They could have no complaints as their winning run ended.