A spectacular late winner from captain and substitute Stuart Lovell all but booked Livingston's place in the UEFA Cup next season.

It was enough to condemn Rangers to their first domestic defeat in 27 matches, a run that had extended back to the previous year and to the reign of the previous manager.

Livi had not won since February 2 but became the first non-Old Firm team to defeat Rangers in the league this season.

The result meant Livi moved back level on points with Aberdeen but as neither side is likely to catch either of them it seems odds on that Aberdeen, Livi and Rangers will be in UEFA Cup action next season.

Livi's win had not looked likely early on however when a slack start gifted the visitors a fourth-minute lead.

Neil McCann won a corner, Andrei Kanchelskis floated it in to a crowded six-yard box and there was Amoruso to head it into the net.

The Livi defence, and the giant Marvin Andrews in particular, had been static and allowed the Italian a free header.

Javier Sanchez Broto was required to prevent Michael Mols from doubling that lead when he produced one of his trademark turns to fool Andrews and set up a low drive. The Spaniard could only parry but defender Didier Santini was there to mop up.

Rangers appeared to be in control but their domination was challenged by the pace and skill of David Fernandez and Wilson's desire to get on the scoresheet.

Bob Malcolm had to get in the way of his header when Cherif Toure Maman floated in a free kick and not long afterwards Amoruso was only fractionally the better man in two penalty box challenges.

Wilson went to ground on both occasions but referee Stuart Dougal appeared to be doubly correct when he ruled play on.

But those incidents were proof that the home side was beginning to come back into the game and it needed a fine save from Stefan Klos in the Rangers goal to preserve the lead.

Cherif gained control of the ball just outside the area to feed Wilson in the box and when the ball was fired into the danger zone Cherif was there to get a close-range connection only for the German to parry.

Klos was behind a Stevie Tosh volley soon afterwards but was given no chance with Wilson's equaliser.

Rangers had been forced to regroup at the back when Tony Vidmar limped off to be replaced by Arthur Numan and the entire defence were spectators when Wilson received the ball from Santini some 25 yards from goal and turned to smash it past Klos into the top corner.

The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with Rangers taking the early initiative only to be pegged back later.

Maurice Ross is hoping to hold on to the righ- back position when Fernando Ricksen returns from suspension and made a rare foray forward to take a Christian Nerlinger pass in his stride.

A Ross goal is even rarer still but Broto denied him that with a spectacular tip over.

Livi saw Cherif stretchered off to be replaced by Lovell before Fernandez twice troubled the Rangers defence.

The first occasion saw him fire across goal and wide with Amoruso in hotpursuit and the second saw Quino's flying bicycle kick fall to him in the box.

But the ball was travelling just too fast and ended up bouncing off him and away to safety.

Andrews was just wide with a header from a Wilson free kick from the left touchline but Lee Makel was way off target with a rising long ranger.

Rangers sent on Tore Andre Flo in place of Billy Dodds for the final quarter of an hour.

Fernandez was still keen to make an impression however and when he got the better of Amoruso chasing a Lee Makel long ball he was able to find Wilson with a cross.

Wilson could not find the target on that occasion but Fernandez was still able to set up a winning goal for a team-mate.

Lovell was the man who provided it, launching himself into the air to fire a bicycle kick past Klos and Co with just two minutes left on the clock.

Teams:

Livingston Broto, Brinquin, Rubio, Andrews, Santini, Quino, Toure-Maman (Lovell 59), Makel, Wilson (Jokovic 83), Tosh, Fernandez (Caputo 90).

Subs Not Used: McEwan, Bollan.

Goals: Wilson 42, Lovell 89.

Rangers Klos, Ross, Malcolm, Amoruso, Vidmar (Numan 39), Kanchelskis, Nerlinger, Latapy, McCann, Mols (Lovenkrands 80), Dodds (Flo 75).

Subs Not Used: McGregor, Caniggia.

Goals: Amoruso 4.

Att: 10,019

Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).