Well, that was more like it we thought at half-time. A fluid, offensive, performance brimming with energy and the capitalisation of chances.

And then, a second 45 that lacked any excitement at all.

Rangers needed a performance to make themselves feel better yesterday at Ibrox and to a point they did. Their habit of starting slowly then building into a game was flipped on its head but within the context of the last week, it was enough to satisfy.

“Again today we’ve only shown it in flashes but I thought in the first half we were as dominant as you can be in the game”, Michael Beale reflected.

The pre-match mood was flat and still full of frustration, what else is there to feel a week on from cup final failure? The Union Bears’ unveiling of a banner directed at the board that read “After fifty-five titles you took your eye off the ball, time for change” was applauded throughout the ground.

It took a set-piece goal for the football to start. Incidentally, only Kilmarnock had recorded a higher set-piece xG since Beale arrived pre-match. Connor Goldson’s opener was Rangers’ sixth set-piece goal in 12 matches, not including direct free-kicks.

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The proceeding half was a reminder of why that number matters. Before Beale arrived, the side had managed only three goals by the same token in 15 matches. When the majority of your job domestically is prising open defences, the more weapons the better. Goldson’s strike, after a short corner earned Todd Cantwell and Antonio Colak shots at goal, made the visitors plan of sitting tight and playing the long game all the more difficult.

“We tried something clever off a free-kick and that got us the first goal. It’s important we’re strong on set plays and that was a nice way to get in front because then it changes the way Kilmarnock approach the rest of the match,” Beale commented.

The half’s remainder was full of purposeful, quick, flexible football – as fun to watch as it was difficult for Killie to combat.

Colak was making just his second start in the league since Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s departure, under whom all but one of his 15 Rangers goals to date had been struck. Accusations of limitation outside the box have been levelled against the Croatian but this performance rejected the notion he’s only useful when shooting. He was sharp, dropping in to create overloads and playing quick bounces passes that enabled a fluid midfield to run beyond, best demonstrated when link-up with Ryan Kent should’ve assisted Fashion Sakala at the back post.

“You can see we’ve been doing some fitness with him in the background and he’s the main thing I’ll take away from today’s game. That’s exactly what I want from Antonio,” Beale added.

The forward constantly had the upper hand in his battle with Ash Taylor and his presence dropping out of the front line offered the continuous prospect of a forward pass.

Midfield, where the battle was lost last week at Hampden, was a standout here. Beale highlighted an upturn in energy as an improvement required to move the club forward on the pitch and that, coinciding with a more fluid three of Todd Cantwell, Ryan Kent and Nico Raskin ahead of Ryan Jack, provided far more movement between the lines and tempo to match.

Cantwell and Raskin on either side of the midfield three was a visual representation of the changes last week’s XI required and further compounded that team selection at Hampden.

This was more like it, new, different, something to get behind. The difficulty Rangers have currently, whether it be starting in certain patterns or falling into them, is making that last and ensuring substantial progress sticks. You can never get your hopes up for too long.

READ MORE: Fresh midfield shows Rangers can have a bright future under Beale

The second half started with a lull usually reserved for the first. A slackness always feels destined to seep into Rangers’ performance at some stage and whether it be loose passes, unnecessary fouls or sloppy moments in the final third, frustration quickly started to brew. Kilmarnock fashioned dangerous chances and got one back from a corner.

“The second-half performance, that wasn't our intention, but I thought one or two ran out of legs,” Beale added.

“Clearly they have not played much football of late in Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack and that's okay. I thought John Lundstram came on and got control again for us and then it was, whether we were going go and score more goals.”

The first-half’s confidence felt very far away as backs visibly stiffened on the pitch. Moves seamlessly slotted together before the break instead broke down regularly. Ibrox began to vent the frustrations that such a promising start had prevented.

The post-match press conference, like midweek, was full of talk about the future. Beale is managing the season before being fully able to implement his ideas in the summer. This past week shows that as acutely as any.

Yesterday’s win was a first 45 that showed the way forward and a second that demonstrated the distance still to travel for Beale and Rangers.