Dick Advocaat will be in bother with the Scottish Football Association after being sent to the stand for his protest at the award of a second-half penalty to Dunfermline in this heated and engrossing confrontation.
The Rangers coach's dissent continued after Andy Smith had hit the penalty wide and any chance the home side had was killed, then buried, when Jonatan Johansson completed a double in the last minute after he and Andrei Kanchelskis had built a two-goal lead.
Dunfermline's thrusts were less sophisticated than Rangers', but almost as effective when Chris McGroarty's deep corner kick from the left was headed back across goal by Smith and broke between David Graham and Lorenzo Amoruso. Graham suddenly had the chance, but his shot from only six yards hit Stefan Klos.
As Rangers do habitually, they took the lead at a time when they appeared to be in some bother and then picked up immediately, scoring a second within another five minutes. Klos had just made an excellent diving save from Smith's low drive when Rangers broke on the left.
Neil McCann, who had replaced Barry Nicholson at the interval, played the ball forward to Wallace, who chipped deep to Kanchelskis. From the corner of the 18-yard box, the Ukrainian, who had done little in the match, volleyed magnificently high to the right of Butler.
The second goal typified Rangers' ability to press home the advantages they create. McCann once again touched the ball inside to Wallace from the left and the forward flicked it on to Johansson. The Finn sent a beautifully controlled left-foot shot on the turn high past Butler from 12 yards.
Dunfermline: Butler, Shields, Tod, French, Huxford, Smith, Johnson, Shaw, Graham, Ferguson, McGroaty (Nish 74). Subs Not Used: Westwater, Fraser, McDonald, Squires.
Rangers: Klos, Porrini, Amoruso, Ferguson, Kanchelskis, Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Wallace, Johansson, Nicholson (McCann 45), Vidmar. Subs Not Used: Guivarc'h, Miller, Riccio, McGregor. Booked: Van Bronckhorst. Goals: Kanchelskis 56, Johansson 59, 90.
Referee: W Young (Clarkston).
