Wednesday 27 April 2016 10:35, UK
Rangers' frustrating end-of-season struggles continued as a Craig Halkett goal gave Livingston a 1-0 Scottish Championship win at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Tuesday night.
However, the Gers' Scottish Cup final opponents Hibernian fared better as they moved level on points with second-placed Falkirk with a 4-0 win over Dumbarton at Easter Road.
Title winners Rangers had lost at Hibs and drawn at home to relegated Alloa following their dramatic Scottish Cup semi-final penalty shoot-out win against old rivals Celtic at Hampden Park.
On Tuesday, former Gers defender Halkett headed the game's only goal in the final minute of the first half in West Lothian.
Mark Warburton's men conclude their league campaign with a trip to St Mirren on Sunday before preparing for the Scottish Cup final on May 21, by which time they will need to somehow find top gear again.
Amid a positive start, Andy Halliday drove wide from distance while fans were still making their way into the ground and forward Michael O'Halloran missed the target from 12 yards after being set up by Dominic Ball.
However, Livi rallied and had chances through Danny Mullen and Sam Stanton, who waltzed into the visitors' box and drove his shot inches past the far post.
The hosts took the lead seconds before the interval when Halkett leapt to head 16-year-old Matthew Knox's free-kick high past Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.
After the break, Livingston defended with increasing assurance and in the 75th minute, they might have stolen a second through substitute Liam Buchanan but he headed Josh Mullen's cross over the bar from six yards out.
Foderingham then made a fine block from the same player in a one-on-one as Livingston swiftly countered again. However, Rangers kept pushing and Kenny Miller's powerful 20-yard drive in the 86th minute missed by inches, but the final few moments were relatively comfortable for the home side.
In Edinburgh, a James Keatings hat-trick helped Hibs beat Dumbarton 4-0 as Alan Stubbs' side moved just behind Falkirk on goal difference in the race for second place.
The Scottish Cup finalists went ahead after just six minutes when Keatings collected Fraser Fyvie's through ball and sent a left-foot shot into the top corner before he grabbed a second just seven minutes later.
After a brief melee following a foul by Jon Routledge on Hibs midfielder Liam Henderson, the hosts made sure of all three points on 75 minutes as Keatings' shot deflected in off Kevin Cawley.
On-loan Celtic forward Anthony Stokes stabbed in a fourth from a corner during stoppage time as Hibs boosted their goal difference to within three of the Bairns.
