Good goalkeeping at both ends kept the game scoreless at the break, a position that pleased Dundee United more than Rangers, who had begun to dominate.

Rangers welcomed five experienced players from injury as Dick Advocaat's side sought the win that would at least delay Celtic's title celebrations until after the League splits in two next week.

Back came Jorg Albertz, Tugay and Claudio Reyna to the midfield, Tony Vidmar to the defence and Rod Wallace to the attack.

It was Wallace's inclusion ahead of Billy Dodds that raised eyebrows given that Wallace is soon to be leaving Ibrox on a free transfer and had not scored since August, while Dodds hit three for his country against Belgium and San Marino and remains the club's top scorer.

Another left becalmed on the bench was on-loan winger Fabrice Fernandes, whose goal within 60 seconds of his debut at Motherwell was not enough for an instant home debut.

Bob Malcolm scored the winner that day but he was nowhere to be seen, with Sergio Porrini, Allan Johnston, Jani Kauppila and Kenny Miller also dropping out.

Skipper Barry Ferguson had missed the San Marino game with a rib injury but started today.

Craig Moore returned from suspension but he and Vidmar are soon off for a two-week tour of duty with Australia.

United gave a first start to on-loan Wimbledon striker Paul Robinson but David Hannah, the scorer of the goal that knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup earlier in the month.

United were looking to avoid their third Ibrox defeat of the season as they fought to avoid the drop.

Rangers began with a 4-4-2 formation that saw Wallace playing just behind the front two.

Tugay battled his way into the box but the back-tracking Jim Hamilton stopped him setting Albertz up for a shot.

Tore Andre Flo turned Jamie Buchan on the right wing to win the first of two early corners.

Flo popped up again on the left wing this time and planted a cross for Wallace to glance a header wide from a good position in the box.

Derek Lilley escaped a booking for a late challenge that hurt Vidmar.

It was also Charlie Miller's first game at Ibrox since Advocaat sold him to Watford last season and he saw Stefan Klos tip over his shot for a corner after it had taken a major deflection off Scott Wilson's head.

Marcus Gayle held off a challenger to get in a long-range shot on the turn but it was straight at Paul Gallacher.

At the other end Robinson used his pace to get into a shooting position in the box and it needed a Wilson challenge to deflect it away for a corner.

A half-cleared cross fell to Tugay on the edge of the area but his looping shot landed just wide.

Gayle had a sniff of a better chance soon after when Reyna slung in a cross from the right but the ball bounced too far in front of him off his chest and Jim Lauchlan was able to hack clear.

Gayle sent an under-hit effort skimming wide from outside the area as the home side toiled.

At last the game took off and both sides were denied an opening goal by excellent goalkeeping.

United's chance was the first with Lilley's cross finding an unmarked Miller at the back post but Klos was equal to his downward header.

Gallacher was required at the other end to tip Gayle's fierce shot over the bar after an Albertz corner had been caused problems in the box.

Wallace fired a snapshot over as the chances became more frequent.

United made a 36th-minute change with Hamilton, who had come off worse in a clash of heads, being replaced by Steven Thompson.

Jason de Vos was booked for sending Wallace flying at full pelt and although Albertz's free-kick went through the wall Gallacher was behind it.

Tugay's superb long ball gave Gayle a sight of goal but although Gallacher took the sting off the shot it still squirmed across goal where Wallace was just too late to turn it into an empty net.