Rangers are finding this SPFL League 1 campaign routine, but there is still room for controversy to exert itself.
A comfortable win at Somerset Park was accompanied by continuing protests from the Ibrox club's fans against the board of directors, as well as Mark Roberts, the Ayr United manager, accusing Arnold Peralta of diving.
Some of the play was uncompromising, but Peralta caught the attention by over-reacting. When the Rangers midfielder lay on the ground as though poleaxed by a foul during the first-half, Roberts leaned over him and urged him to get back up. This led to the Ayr United player-manager being booked, while the home fans yelled "cheat" at the Honduran. One supporter also threw what appeared to be a half-eaten sausage roll at the player.
"The referee told me Peralta dived," said Roberts. "You get frustrated because he went down like someone shot him. There was nothing wrong with him because he jumped up two minutes later and he was fine. That's what happens with these foreign players, though I've done it a couple of times myself."
Roberts was also unhappy with Rangers' two goals, claiming the free kick from which Ian Black created the first for Bilel Mohsni was not a foul, and then that Lewis MacLeod's overhead kick inside the penalty area was dangerous play. They were specific gripes when Rangers generally deserved to maintain their 100% record with an eighth consecutive league win, to move eight points clear of second place Dunfermline Athletic.
McCoist received the manager of the month award for September after the final whistle. It was a reassuring day for him, since his team prevailed without performing to the best of its ability. The away fans acclaimed it, too, but still registered their growing dissent with the Rangers directors following the publication of the annual accounts last week.
Banners were raised before kick-off, including, "Mather Out", "Stockbridge Out", and "Sack The Board", and the protests continued at half-time, with a chant of "Sack The Board" and further banners, including "Stop Bleeding Our Club Dry", and "Give Us Our Rangers Back". Only one Rangers board member - the non-executive director Ian Hart - was at the game, although Malcolm Murray, the former Rangers chairman who some shareholders wish to return to the board, was also in attendance.
"It's been a box of tricks managing this club in the past couple of years," McCoist said. "Last week was interesting but the most important thing is the team are performing and getting results for the supporters."
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