THE body language, in itself, elicited a certain sympathy. This young boy, hurt and exasperated, pleading to uncaring officialdom for protection from his tormentors.

Nathan Oduwa's half-time exchange with referee Andrew Dallas and his team before limping off the Ibrox pitch to a consoling embrace from his assistant manager, David Weir, was one of the lasting images from Rangers' otherwise forgettable one-goal win over Livingston in the quarter-finals of the Petrofac Training Cup.

From the opening minute, in which a potentially career-damaging challenge from Kieran Gibbons was allowed to go unpunished, the 19-year-old winger was undoubtedly singled out for special treatment by Mark Burchill's side.

Dallas, for the record, gave Oduwa short shrift before he was replaced by Nicky Clark, the eventual matchwinner, at the interval.

Although the Rangers manager, Mark Warburton, emerged after the final whistle to demand that referees help promote a culture that allows talented players to flourish, there was at least one member of the home dressing-room aware that there is likely to be much more of this to come.

Barrie McKay understands the perils of being a winger in the rough and tumble world of Scottish football. He knows what it is to be kicked from pillar to post and knows from experience that being a Rangers player in the lower leagues does tend to make one the subject of unwanted attention.

His view on Oduwa seems clear. The on-loan Tottenham Hotspur player is going to have to figure out a way to retain his natural, technical game whilst toughening up.

This is a man's game and Oduwa, with all those crowd-pleasing flicks and tricks he possesses, is always going to be someone that a certain type of full-back is going to want to take down a peg or two.

"He's that type of player," said McKay. "He's always going to get that.

"He has done really well since he came in and most players are going to take you out if you get past them.

"He just needs to protect himself more.

"Once he's fouled, he is straight back up, though. You see different players in different leagues who are fouled and then start rolling about from softer tackles, so it's a compliment to him that he just gets up and gets on with it.

"Nathan's a big boy for his age, but he's still got a lot to learn and I am sure he will do that here."

McKay, now aged 20, has become an unexpected success under Warburton after going out on loan to Morton and Raith Rovers to promote his development. He looks a more resilient figure than the young boy who was part of the side during their campaign in the old Third Division and certainly does not demand special protection as a little winger entrusted with the responsibility of trying to zip past hulking defenders while avoiding their studmarks on his shin.

"I grew up with it," he said. "You kind of expect it and get used to it.

"You just have to get back up and keep wanting the ball. You cannot shy away from it if you are getting kicked a bit. You have to keep getting at the opposition players.

"Sometimes, you do lose your temper, but you could get booked or sent-off if you do that.

"If they are kicking you and you react, you are probably the one who is going to get cautioned because of that reaction. You just have to watch what you are doing."

McKay is clearly relishing being part of a Rangers side committed to attacking football. Against Livingston, he played on the right with Oduwa on the left with Martyn Waghorn through the middle.

Whether the opposition park the bus, get physical or both, he insists the Ladbrokes Championship leaders cannot compromise on the basic philosophy put in place by Warburton and his coaching staff.

"The way we want to play is the way any footballer wants to play and you need to stick by that," he said. "There's no point in changing it just because teams are more compact.

"If we start throwing long balls at them, it will play into their hands. We have just got to be patient.

"If you do try and break them down, there's more chance of it happening.

"It was hard against Livingston and they made it difficult for us.

"It's tough when teams are so compact, but we believe in ourselves that we can break them down and we've managed it so far.

"It's good the way we are playing because it is benefiting me

"We are a real footballing team. You can see we are trying to keep the ball more and trying to play the right way. We are being patient and waiting for the right moment."