Rangers’ crisis deepened as a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen left them nine points behind Celtic and the Dons at the top of the William Hill Premiership.

Dons full-back Nicky Devlin fired in a opener at Pittodrie after 31 minutes before Gers keeper Jack Butland saved a Jamie McGrath penalty six minutes from the interval as Jimmy Thelin’s side dominated.

The lethargic Light Blues responded after the break and wide-man Nedim Bajrami levelled in the 63rd minute with a fine solo goal only for second-half substitute Shayden Morris to fire in from close range 11 minutes later to heap more pressure on Gers boss Philippe Clement.

In contrast, Thelin is now unbeaten in 16 games since taking over as Aberdeen boss in the summer, winning 15 of those.

The Ibrox club is in turmoil with no permanent chairman, chief executive or director of football while on Tuesday it was revealed they made a net loss of £17.2million last season

Belgian boss Clement has to limp on under the weight of negativity which surrounds him, the team and the club. Rangers’ title hopes have surely gone beyond forlorn.

Clement was dealt another injury blow with winger Vaclav Cerny, who had scored five goals in four games, out through injury, replaced by Ross McCausland with skipper James Tavernier, John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Cyriel Dessers returning.

Connor Barron returned to Pittodrie for the first time since leaving in the summer to join the Govan outfit – and inevitably he was booed loudly throughout.

Thelin’s only change was the return of captain Graeme Shinnie, who took over from Ante Palaversa and, after a dramatic pre-match firework display, frantic football followed from referee John Beaton’s first whistle.

Gers striker Dessers had an early chance but his shot was blocked by Devlin.

At the other end, McGrath had a goal-bound drive blocked by Tavernier before Devlin drove just wide from the edge of the box and then McGrath curled a free-kick from 25 yards past Butland’s post.

An Aberdeen goal was in the post and it came when Topi Keskinen flicked on a cross from left-back Jack McKenzie to Devlin who had time and space to hammer the ball high past Butland.

The home side swarmed around the Rangers box and Shinnie crashed a shot off the post and then there was a VAR check when Souttar appeared to block a Keskinen shot with his arm.

Beaton checked his pitchside monitor and pointed to the spot but Butland guessed right to save McGrath’s unconvincing spot-kick.

Butland made another save from McKenzie’s long-range effort and in a rare Rangers attack just before the break, McCausland tapped in a Bajrami pass from a yard out but was ruled offside.

Dujon Sterling replaced the Northern Ireland winger for the start of the second half and the visitors at last began to play with some pace and purpose.

The visitors were well on top when Bejrami created a goal for himself, taking a Lawrence pass and with Devlin, Shinnie and Slobodan Rubezic in close attention inside the box, he drove past keeper Dimitar Mitov and in at the far post.

The Govan side had the initiative and Lawrence and Dessers failed to capitalise on a cut-back from Tavernier following yet another attack but the Dons regained the lead after Butland had saved a powerful drive from substitute Palaversa.

Rangers could not get out of their own penalty area and when Devlin’s toe-poke from a tight angle went through Butland’s legs and hit the far post, Morris, on for Duk in the 54th minute, hammered in the loose ball.

A frustrated Clement picked up a yellow card in the final five minutes for remonstrating at a decision against his team, who once again in a big game this season, fell short.