Rangers' amazing rollercoaster of a season was back on an upward curve today after an extraordinary turn around at Motherwell's Fir Park.

The ailing champions had looked to be heading for another morale-sapping reverse and were trailing to Don Goodman's early goal.

But their fortunes changed just seconds after Dick Advocaat made a substitution as the hour mark loomed.

Fabrice Fernandes was the man sent on and he scored an extraordinary equalising goal, coming off the bench to smash the ball past Andy Goram within seconds of making that much-anticipated debut.

For Roy of the Rovers read Fabrice of the Rangers as the Frenchman, on loan from Rennes until the end of the season, made his dramatic, instant impact.

It wasn't literally his first touch of the ball but was enough to turn a tide that had been firmly in favour of a resourceful and hard-working Motherwell side until then.

And with a minute remaining up popped Robert Malcolm to tap in the winner following a scramble from a corner.

Malcolm had only been playing because Lorenzo Amoruso and Craig Moore were unavailable.

Rangers fans had arrived at Fir Park fearful that the hard times would continue and it took just a couple of minutes' play for that to be confirmed.

Goodman is no prolific scorer but within three minutes had flicked a header past Stefan Klos from a free kick from Said Chiba.

Goodman could have been on the scoresheet already, having fired wide in the box a minute earlier and his claims that Bert Konterman's off-putting challenge had been illegal were strong yet ignored by referee Alan Freedland.

Chiba, the Moroccan international midfielder signed on loan until the end of the season, fired another good chance wide as Rangers were left reeling.

It took Rangers almost 25 minutes to fashion a good chance and Tore Andre Flo promptly wasted it.

Motherwell failed to clear a cross further than Barry Ferguson on the edge of the box and he played it neatly and simply back to Flo. No-one challenged Flo but his finish was woeful and into the sidenetting.

Motherwell's reply was a swift counter that saw Dougie Ramsay cross on to the head of the onrushing Stuart Elliott but although he was goal-side of his marker he could only find Stefan Klos.

The normally reliable German appeared also to have been affected by his side's loss of confidence as he twice flapped at catchable corners.

And he was mighty relieved to see Chiba's goalbound shot deflected past him on to a post in the 27th minute.

It also should be noted that Rangers were not the only side to have been forced to make wholesale changes with Motherwell winning 5-3 in the reshuffle stakes.

Benito Kemble, Derek Adams and Derek Townsley were all banned and John Spencer had joined Ged Brannan, Lee McCulloch and Steve McMillan out the exit door since the last time Well had played.

In came Chiba and fellow debutant James Okali, the centre back with the long throw.

They slotted in so effortlessly it seemed as though they had been there all season and youngster James McFadden was given a full debut on the left side of midfield to join fellow rookies Keith Lasley and Dougie Ramsay.

Yes, throwing short-term loan players with experience in with youngsters to fill enforced gaps can work.

The Rangers faithful must have been wondering why Billy Davies could achieve that while Dick Advocaat could.

Jani Kauppila, the Finn given his full debut in midfield, made strong challenges as Malcolm on occasion but overall there was no cohesion to the visitors' early play.

The restored Kenny Miller was keen but often let himself down with his final touch. It was he who provided Rangers' only shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

But, as so often happens in football, the storyline was to change dramatically after the break.

The champions should have equalised soon after the restart when a Marcus Gayle header was cleared off the line by a defender only as far as Sergio Porrini, who, with the goal at his mercy, screwed a shot wide.

It was a defender's finish to be sure and the Italian knew he should have done better.

But no matter, cometh the hour cometh the man and 59 minutes were on the clock when Fernandes scored within seconds of making his debut.

Few players have made such an impact in such a short space of time as the Frenchman received the ball, looked up and smashed the ball into the top corner of Goram's net.

Ferguson could have put his side in the lead not long after, arriving in the box to collect a defence-splitting throughball, but his finish was weak and straight at Goram.

It was end to end stuff from then on but it was Malcolm who was destined to settle things from Allan Johnston's corner.

Gayle headed to the back post where Flo retrieved with an overhead kick back into the danger zone and after Billy Dodds and Bert Konterman challenged with defenders the ball bounced loose to Malcolm six yards out.

He couldn't miss - and he didn't.

Teams

Motherwell: Goram, Corrigan, Okoli, Strong, Lasley (Pearson 76), Ramsey (Nicholas 66), Chiba, Leitch, Elliott (Wood 67), Goodman, McFadden.

Subs Not Used: Woods, MacDonald.

Booked: Chiba, Lasley.

Goals: Goodman 2.

Rangers: Klos, Malcolm, Konterman, Wilson, Porrini (Fernandes 58), Miller (Dodds 58), Ferguson, Kaupilla, Johnston, Flo, Gayle.

Subs Not Used: Christiansen, Leven, Dowie.

Booked: Malcolm.

Goals: Fernandes 59, Malcolm 89.

Att: 11,208

Ref: A Freeland (Scotland).