RANGERS missed the chance to draw level with Ladbrokes Premiership pace-setters Celtic and Aberdeen as they were held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Partick Thistle at the Energy Check Stadium.

Alfredo Morelos gave the Light Blues the perfect start with his eighth goal in six games.

But boss Pedro Caixinha’s hopes of recording three straight wins for the first time since his March appointment were wrecked when Blair Spittal and Chris Erskine fired back for the Firhill hosts.

Erskine’s red-card for a lunge on Morelos handed the initiative back to Gers and Jags were denied their first win of the season as Graham Dorrans equalised with 13 minutes left.

But there was no winner for Rangers – who were looking to go top of Scotland’s top flight for the first time since December 2011 – with Caixinha again set to face some difficult questions after watching his side drop seven points from their first six games of the campaign.

Thistle were without first-choice keeper Tomas Cerny as he failed to recover from a stomach injury, meaning Ryan Scully started in goal.

And Caixinha had to tinker with his plans too when skipper Lee Wallace trudged off after 12 minutes following a tangle with Miles Storey, with on-loan Cardiff defender Declan John sent on for his debut.

The early stages were a cagey affair as both sides looked for an opening but Morelos needed needed just half a chance to break the deadlock.

Josh Windass saw his shot blocked by Danny Devine’s head. Blair Spittal had the chance to clear the danger for Thistle but when hesitated for a second, it gave Jack his chance to steal.

The former Aberdeen man fed Morelos and while the angle was against the Colombian, it made no difference as he drove the opener past Scully.

Rangers wasted the chance to go two ahead jut after the half-hour mark after a rapid break but Kenny Miller chose to chest down Morelas’ back-post cross rather than shoot.

Rangers let another chance go-abegging when Daniel Candieas scuffed his shot just moments into the second period and Jags soon took advantage of the visitors profligacy as they levelled.

Fabio Cardosso was penalised for climbing over Storey and Spittal got lucky when Bruno Alves helped his free-kick past Foderingham as the Gers wall came apart.

By the hour mark Thistle were ahead. With Gers failing to press quickly, Edwards fed the unmarked Spittal out wide and he was able to find Erskine for a simple tap-in.

But joy turned to despair five minutes later for Erskine as referee Willie Collum flashed him a straight red as threw himself studs-first at Morelos.

The man advantage gave Rangers a renewed sense of urgency after a laboured spell following the break and they got their reward on 77 minutes as Dorrans swept home a delicious equaliser from 20 yards out.

But while the Ibrox men poured forward Thistle held firm.