Rangers draw 2-2 with Alloa Athletic as Nicky Clark scores twice

Rangers made it five draws in a row with a 2-2 stalemate against Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Championship at Ibrox.

Hearts currently have a stranglehold on the top spot in the Scottish Championship - and with it likely automatic promotion - but a strong run at the end of the season could see Rangers win a play-off spot.

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However two goals were not enough to see off Alloa, who fought back in the closing stages through the left foot of Liam Buchannan to salvage a draw.

Clark showed Rangers' intent early on, latching on to a swinging Nicky Law cross to get a header on goal, but it was a straightforward low save for Wasps 'keeper Craig McDowall, who spent much of the first half rebuffing the efforts of Clark and fellow forward Tom Walsh.

Alloa held strong in their final third, though, and made their own attacking presence felt when Buchanan had a chance from the centre of the box in the seventh minute, only to scuff his shot when well placed to open the scoring.

Teenager Walsh, in just his second game for Rangers’ first team, was a constant headache for Alloa, troubling them frequently with his pace down the left side and providing decent service for his strikers.

But all the goal scoring came in the second half, with the first going to Alloa’s Ben Gordon who, in the 53rd minute, connected with Mark Docherty’s free kick to head past Cammy Bell into the bottom right corner.

Clark started his scoring heroics with an opportunistic header after a rebound off the crossbar in the 72nd minute, and he headed home again five minutes later from a curling cross by David Templeton.

But Rangers hopes of a win were dashed when Buchanan’s left-footed shot from the side of the six-yard box beat Bell to level the scoring.

New signing Michael Chopra started on the bench for Alloa but the former Newcastle United, Sunderland and Cardiff striker barely got time to raise a sweat, brought on as a substitute in the 90th minute.

It’s a welcome result for Alloa manager Paddy Connolly, who only took the reins at Recreation Park Alloa last week following incumbent manager Barry Smith’s resignation after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Dumbarton.