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Rangers' hopes of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League suffered a crushing blow after they conceded a late equaliser against Unirea Urziceni in Group G.

Allan McGregor had kept the Scottish Premier League side in the game with a string of impressive saves, but when Lee McCulloch struck 12 minutes from time Walter Smith's men looked to have clinched a crucial victory.

However it was not to be as with two minutes to play Marius Onofras scored a spectacular equaliser to rescue a point for his team.

With two games to play Rangers are rock bottom, level on points with Stuttgart and three behind the Romanian side in second. Sevilla secured qualification with a draw against the Germans.

The Gers were looking to avenge the 4-1 humiliation they endured at the hands of Unirea at Ibrox, but their late sloppiness extended their winless run in the Champions League to eight matches.

In the opening 30 minutes there was little to enthuse about. Rangers' dearth in attacking options was evident in Smith's decision to deploy the diminutive Kenny Miller as a lone front man, starved of support and supply.

Unirea charged around the pitch, eager to stifle any aspirations Rangers had of playing football. Tame efforts from Steven Naismith and Kevin Thomson were dealt with by Giedrius Arlauskis, before the otherwise redundant Rangers goalkeeper was called into action.

In the 28th minute Kyle Lafferty brought down the galloping Dacian Varga 30 yards from his own goal. The Northern Ireland midfielder picked up a booking and presented Vasile Maftei with a shooting opportunity.

The Romanian defender's fierce right foot drive cut through the traffic and skimmed of the slick surface. Unsighted McGregor did well to get his frame behind the shot and turn it away from goal.

Two minutes later Miller charged up field with retaliatory intent. Ignoring Naismith and Steven Davis, he evaded the attentions of two defenders before curling a low shot at Arlauskis's right-hand bottom corner. The Lithuanian shot-stopper managed to get down and smother the attempt.

Moments later the home side brought the best out of McGregor again: Sorin Frunza cut in from the right and let fly, his shot taking a wicked deflection off Danny Wilson; however the Rangers keeper was equal to it, turning the ball around the post.

Unirea manager Dan Petrescu made an early change, introducing Marius Onofras for Tiberiu Balan, and the substitute nearly caught McGregor out with an audacious effort from just inside the visitor's half.

The back pedaling goalkeeper was grateful to his effort bounce off the roof of the net. The last chance of the half fell to Lafferty who curled a shot agonisingly wide of the left hand post.

While Rangers fans clashed with stewards, Smith was preparing his side for a second-half battle they needed to win.

The home side displayed a willingness to shoot on sight as the visitors soaked up the pressure, but it was Rangers who created the better chances. In the 62nd minute Davis played a clever ball to Miller inside the box and the striker tried to open his body up and curl a right foot shot around Arlauskis, but his effort was more akin to a backpass.

At the other end McGregor continued to keep his side in it, driving back everything Unirea threw at him; then just as the game looked to be petering out to a draw McCulloch lifted Rangers, the Scottish midfielder hitting a shot from 30 yards that tore off the surface and bounced over the outstretched Arlauskis.

Smith's side thought they had done enough to rescue their Champions League campaign, but they nearly conceded an equaliser immediately. Onofras burst into the box and looked to round McGregor; the Rangers custodian managed to push him wide, but the Romanian was able to shoot from an acute angle.

Wilson was on hand to head off the line, but the reprieve was shortlived as Onofras conjured up something special.

A long ball forward found Marius Bilasco, who laid the ball off to the attacking midfielder; he took a touch before thundering a right-footed screamer past McGregor into the top-right corner of the net.

There was still time for Sasa Papac to waste a golden opportunity to win it for the Gers, the Bosnia and Herzegovina defender meeting a corner from John Fleck at the back post - but instead of covering himself in glory he miscued a volley harmlessly over.

Ben Welch / Eurosport