Rangers ...... 1

Dunfermline . 0

IT WAS far from exhilarating entertainment, but Rangers did enough to earn themselves a place in the quarter-finals of the CIS Cup, formerly known as the League Cup, overcoming a willing and energetic Fife team, but only just.

The scoreline did not truly reflect the difference in the sides, but Rangers were unable to turn their superior play into a similar margin in goals.

They were a much-changed team, of course, with a handful of regulars out because of injury or suspension.

The goalkeeping problem is becoming acute as they had to bring in 18-year-old Mark Brown when Antti Niemi, third-choice behind injured pair Lionel Charbonnier and Stefan Klos, had to call off with an ankle knock.

Brown did not let the side down making one or two fine saves and dealing confidently with anything that came his way.

Rod Wallace put the Ibrox side ahead in 25 minutes and came close on at least three other occasions, but his goal awareness was not matched by anyone else, even Michael Mols when he replaced Jonaton Johansson midway through the second half.

Derek McInnes was given a rare run in the side and ended up the best Rangers player, using the ball intelligently to set his forwards going.

He would have been my man of the match, but the award went to Jorg Albertz.

The watching Sheffield United manager, Adrian Heath, must have been impressed by McInnes whom he has already tried to buy this season.

''I never thought I would get a game at Ibrox again,'' said McInnes. ''I knew the Sheffield manager was here. Hopefully, he liked what he saw.''

Dunfermline manager Dick Campbell didn't like what he saw, for sure, and he had a verbal swipe at the decision to allow the goal, at Lorenzo Amoruso, and at the Ibrox fans in the Broomloan Stand.

He insisted Gabriel Amato, who had been caught running back from goal, was offside before Wallace was put through to score.

''It could only happen at Ibrox,'' he said. ''If it had been at East End Park, it would have been offside.

''Our players rushed out and the lad was offside. I am very annoyed at losing a goal that way.

''With no disrespect to Rangers, it would not have happened elsewhere.''

Campbell also was upset at Amoruso's less than enthusiastic remarks about the tournament.

''It is bad manners for any player to say bad things about the competition. It is embarrassing when it's a foreigner who says them about our League Cup.''

He was not quite finished. Asked about the few fans in the 30,000 crowd who had come from Fife, he said: ''It is not a nice situation to sit in. It is not seagulls that are landing on their heads.''

That, of course, was a barely disguised allegation that Ibrox fans hurl missiles down on the visiting supporters.

Dick Advocaat, the Rangers manager, admitted it had not been a very impressive show . . . ''but we did control the game totally.

''Dunfermline gave us problems last year, too, remember.''

He was pleased with Brown's show and thought McInnes did reasonably well considering his long absence.

There was a lethargy about Rangers' play early on which prompted Advocaat to leave his stand seat after just five minutes to go down to the dug-out from where he could attempt ginger up his men.

After the manager's arrival, Andrei Kanchelskis produced his team's first serious goal attempt, when he cut inside from the right and let loose a superb left-foot shot that Ian Westwater did well to parry and then send for a corner.

The raising of their game did result in a goal for the home team when Albertz pushed the ball through to Wallace as Amato was running back from an offside position.

The referee allowed play to carry on and Wallace rounded the keeper before knocking the ball over the line.

RANGERS - Brown, Adamczuk, Moore, Amoruso, Vidmar, Kanchelskis, McInnes, Albertz, Johansson, Wallace, Amato. Substitutes - Porrini, Mols, Wilson.

DUNFERMLINE - Westwater, Thomson, Dair, Potter, Reid, Dolan, Graham, French, Smith, Coyle, Petrie. Substitutes - Ireland, May, McGroarty.

Referee - T M McCurry.