Rangers stumbled ever closer to automatic promotion in this bitty game against a resilient Luton Town side. Both sets of players turned in a battling display although it was disappointing that a win could not be secured that would have seen us travel to Ashton Gate next week five points clear.

With Terrell Forbes' incarceration hanging over the club it was hard to tell what way the players would react. What was certain was that changes would be made to the team. Camp started in goal again behind a back four of the returning Marcus Bignot, Carlisle, Gnohere and Edghill. Rowlands and Johnson both kept their places in midfield and were joined by Marcus Bean, in for the suspended Bircham. Gallen dropped in on the left of midfield instead of the out of form McLeod with Furlong and the darling of Kenilworth Road, Tony Thorpe in attack.

Rangers started the brighter of the two teams and seemed to be spurred on by the irrational hatred pouring out of the School End toward Thorpe. Greedy Bastard Thorpe, vilified throughout for having the temerity to want to pay his mortgage, seemed to be drawing a lot of attention and this was allowing those around him to play.

Rangers were forcing a raft of corners but were having trouble making them count. Without Padula the delivery into the box is somewhat lacking but Arthur was trying his level best to make something of them. Twice he sent in headers that forced former Coventry keeper Morten Hyldgaard and his defence into action. The first was scrambled away by the big Dane and when he couldn't get to the second one his defenders were on hand to diffuse the situation.

Rangers were finding themselves thwarted almost every time they attacked by inept referee Andy D'Urso. He was turning in the sort of display that could almost justify Roy Keane trying to chin him a few years ago. He wasn't being helped by a linesman that must have a nervous twitch in his waving arm as every time Furs went near a Luton player the flag went up. It didn't seem to matter what part of Furlong's kit or anatomy was being pulled it would be ignored. The most notable example of this was when Emmerson Boyce grabbed both of Furlong's arms in the box and pulled him over just yards from the self confessed Rangers hating official, it looked a nailed on penalty from 100 yards away but it was dismissed.

Undeterred though they continued to carry the fight to Luton and Martin Rowlands forced Hyldgaard into a fine save with a crashing twenty five yard drive. He will probably not strike one as sweet as that for the rest of the season but he could not beat the outstretched arm of the Hatters keeper. Minutes later he was denying Gallen when he cut in from the left and smashed one against his legs.

It was starting to look like one of those days when he fumbled a Furlong free kick and there was no Rangers player following the ball in. It could have been a costly mistake had Clarke Carlisle not shown some amazing agility at the other end. A corner into the box was headed goal ward by the giant Enoch Showunmi and it had beaten Camp before Carlisle managed to hook the ball off of the line, or, as it looked from where I was sitting, behind it!  

Buoyed by this good fortune Rangers took the lead on the stroke of half time. Kevin Gallen surged down the left and floated in a delightful cross to the far post. Paul Furlong was on hand to power in a text book far post header to give the R's a deserved half time lead. This should have been the spring board for a second half display that would have closed the game out and hammered the first nail in Bristol City's coffin. What we saw though was a Luton side with a different attitude to the first half. Showunmi had looked almost disinterested in the first half but something had clearly been said at the break and he came out and showed the form that has brought him some rave reviews of late.

He showed his intentions early on when he muscled a hesitant Carlisle off the ball and lashed in a left footed drive that Camp turned away. The way he brushed Carlisle aside was typical of the Rangers mans second half showing. He was letting the ball bounce instead of meeting it with his head and there seemed to be a distinct lack of communication between him and Arthur at times. They were grateful for excellent covering displays by Bignot and Edghill, with the former looking like he had never been away.

Tony Thorpe had a great chance to double the lead when Marcus Bean played a brilliant ball into his path. He never really got the ball down and his shot was still rising as it entered The Loft. Richard Johnson came close to scoring his first for the club with a header from a Rowlands corner. His deep ball was met almost on the edge of the box and the header looped over defence and keeper onto the roof of the net.

Furlong missed a gilt edged chance to seal the points after great work from the right wing by Rowlands, his ball into the box found Furs who had stolen a march on Davies and he sent a delicate left footed shot wide of Hyldgaard. It seemed as though the ball was destined for the far corner but somehow it careered wide of the right hand upright.

Camp was on hand to deny the revitalised Showunmi again just after the hour mark and moments later he also had to be alert to keep a shot from Luton skipper Nicholls out of the net. With a little under fifteen minutes left to play Luton grabbed a deserved equaliser. Once again Carlisle was hesitant under a high ball and allowed it to bounce with obvious consequences. Forbes and Showunmi combined and the gangling hitman controlled the ball before lifting it past Camp and into the far corner.

It was now time to see how Rangers would respond. McLeod and Cureton had by now replaced Thorpe and Bean as the R's chased the winner. Carlisle came close to making amends for his error on the goal with a bullet header that went just wide. Rowlands also found the angle of post and bar with a deflected cross that seemed to have done for Hyldgaard.

It wasn't to be though and Luton took a deserved point from the game. You would have thought that they had just won the league such were the celebrations from their supporters. It must have been a great day for them to draw in their cup final, no doubt as soon as they were home the shelves of the local Netto were cleared of special brew and the party continued long into the night. If I were a Luton player I would be slightly disappointed that 3000 of them can turn up to have a crack at a former player but they wouldn't turn up in those numbers if they only had their own players to watch.

A win would have seen us firmly in the promotion box seat but we cannot be disappointed with a draw against a Luton team that surprised me with how solid they were. Curtis Davies at the back was impressive as was Showunmi. Don King looky likey Forbes was also a handful despite appearing to be wearing a stab vest under his kit.

For Rangers Lee Camp was commanding again and he had to be given a poor second half from Carlisle and Gnohere. Bignot and Edghill were excellent and Bean and Johnson in the middle were typically tigerish. Rowlands struggled to get involved as much as usual and Gallen put in a good showing despite being well out of position. In attack Thorpe was anonymous throughout and I think the Luton fans got to him. Some players will respond to the taunting with a blistering performance but it never really happened for Thorpey today. Furlong was different class alongside him though and his header for the goal was classic stuff.

Next week will be a terrific occasion and I hope that we can take advantage of Bristol City's lack of form. I am sure they will raise their game for our visit but a win there would see us six clear of them with a game in hand and another win at Tranmere would seal the deal for me. Whether it happens like that or not nobody can say but it will be fun finding out.

simon@qprnet.com