GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - US Men's National Team star DaMarcus Beasley played 83 minutes and had an assist as Rangers beat newly promoted Scottish Premier League side Gretna 4-0 in front of 49,689 at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

The scoreline did not reflect the fine effort by the Gretna players, especially in the first half.

The former Chicago Fire star manned his usual position on the left wing and also handled left-side corners and free kicks for the Light Blues. He was substituted for Rangers last minute transfer deadline signing Steven Naismith in the 83rd minute with the hosts already up four.

Gretna, having only one point from four games so far into the season, were largely expected to frustrate Rangers and play a slowdown game, but the side from the small town on the English border actually produced some good soccer in the first half.

Black and Whites manager David Irons, speaking at the post-match press conference, was pleased with the first half display: "I can't complain about our play in the first half, we just needed a bit of belief in the final third of the pitch."

The Ibrox side played into the Scottish Premier League newcomers' hands by allowing them to work in midfield, move the ball out wide and dropping crosses into the box. Rangers manager Walter Smith was not pleased with the effort in the first half.

"I was overall disappointed by our play in the first half, all credit to (Gretna)," he offered. "But at least we picked up our play in the second half."

Beasley didn't see much of the ball in the first half, but when he did, was able to provide good service to his strikers. The largest impact came in the 16th minute when his corner was struck with good speed into the box; unfortunately, no one in a light blue shirt could get a head to it and it went out for a Gretna throw.

The Glasgow side's disappointing showing in the first half did not appease the crowd, most of whom expected a thrashing when one of the SPL's smaller clubs came calling, and started to get agitated when Rangers could not find the room to get a shot on goal or had to pass backwards.

Once Rangers did get the ball forward, striker Kris Boyd - who may be playing for his starting position with the arrival of Naismith, his former teammate at Kilmarnock - was doing well to get final touches on the ball into the box. He used a good flick-on in the 24th minute, but his shot was not strong enough to get past Gretna keeper Greg Fleming.

Boyd was able to make amends for that effort in the 38th minute. Strike partner Daniel Cousin was on a tear down the middle of the field in the 38th minute when he was pulled down cynically by Gretna center back Aurelien Collin, who received a yellow card.

On the resulting free kick from just outside of the box, Boyd, Barry Ferguson, and Kevin Thompson all crowded round the placement, but it was the former whose shot deflected off the wall and past keeper Fleming for the game's first goal.

Gretna came out in the second determined to play a more open game, and made due almost immediately as Uruguayan Fabian Yantorno fired two shots in on goal in the 48th minute. The game had started to open up a bit and both sides were exerting extra effort.

Yantorno was at the center of the action again in the 55th minute as he was fouled hard by Rangers defender Alan Hutton. He took the subsequent free kick from 30 yards out, but sailed the ball well over the crossbar.

As Gretna continued to push forward for an equalizer, Rangers were very comfortable at the back, again led by Man of the Match Carlos Cuellar. One minute after Yantorno's free kick, Hutton pushed down the right flank to drill a perfect cross to the head of Boyd, who was unable to deliver the ball with accuracy and skewed it wide right of goal.

But a statement of intent was made, and Beasley was a central part of Rangers second goal in the 63rd minute. Another Light Blues counterattack was rewarded with a corner, and the Indiana native drove a high ball onto the head of Andy Webster, who was making his Rangers debut this season after a long injury layoff. The former Wigan defender drove a powerful header past the outstretched arms of Fleming, which hit the bar and bounced in to give Rangers a two-goal lead.

It was if all at once Gretna started to realize the folly of trying to beat one of the dreaded Old Firm on their turf, and the confidence and smart play they had displayed in the first half started to pale to the aggressiveness of the Glasgow side.

Rangers were finding good spaces down the right and kept pressuring the Black and Whites from that side, forcing balls out for dangerous set pieces.

This pressure proved to be too much again, as defender Gavin Skelton brought down Steven Whittaker just outside the box. Beasley and Ferguson both lined up to the ball, but the kick was left to the captain to deliver a beauty right to the head of Cuellar, who drilled his header into the top left corner of the net.

It was another set piece and another goal against Gretna, which has been the story of their young season. "We have given up three goals on three free kicks, its just simply not good enough on this level," the Gretna coach told the assembled throng at the press conference.

With the victory assured, Smith substituted Beasley to give Steven Naismith his first appearance in a Rangers shirt. An avid fan of the club growing up, he had given up hope of winning a transfer from Kilmarnock until he got the call late last night to have a physical at Murray Park. He received a huge ovation when he entered the game.

Rather than take their foot off the pedal, Rangers kept pressing for more. Thanks to a powerful run by Jean-Claude Darcheville, who came on as a sub for Cousin in the 68th minute, the Ibrox side upped their lead to 4-0 in the 83rd minute as the sub's shot was deflected by Collin into the net past Fleming.

Many of the Rangers squad will now be called away to international duty as there is a full slate of European Championship qualifiers coming up next Saturday and Wednesday, respectively.

It is yet to be known whether the 25-year old Beasley will ask for clearance to play in the US friendly against Brazil, or take what his manager has intimated would be a well-deserved rest from  before Rangers next game at Hearts in Edinburgh.

Scoring
RAN - Kris Boyd 2 (Barry Ferguson) 38'
RAN - Andy Webster 1 (DaMarcus Beasley) 63'
RAN - Carlos Cuellar 1 (Barry Ferguson) 81'
RAN - OG (Aurelien Collin) 83'

Line-ups
RAN - Allan McGregor; Alan Hutton, Sasa Papac, Carlos Cuellar, Andy Webster, Kevin Thomson, Barry Ferguson, Steven Whittaker, DaMarcus Beasley (Steven Naismith 83'), Daniel Cousin (Jean-Claude Darcheville 68'), Kris Boyd (Nacho Novo 76')

GRE - Greg Fleming; Gavin Skelton, Chris Innes, Aurelien Collin, Allan Jenkins (Fraser McLaren 76'), Abdul Osman (Eric Paartalu 86'), Colin McMenamin, Nicky Deverdics (Mikel Buscher 68'), Fabian Yantorno, Paul Murray, David Cowan