Rangers have fallen at the first hurdle in a cup competition once again, going down 3-0 to Northampton in Round One of the Carling Cup.

Goals from Andy Kirk, Scott McGleish and Eric Sabin ended the Rs' participation in this season's tournament and Ian Holloway's misery was compounded by an unfortunate debut day red card for Ian Evatt.

The centre back was given his marching orders by referee Andy Hall for 'preventing a goalscoring opportunity' by fouling Kirk, despite the close proximity of another Rangers defender.

This was the third time in less than 90 minutes that Hall had dismissed a Rangers player having sent off both Clarke Carlisle and Stephen Kelly in the second half of a Division Two fixture against Crewe in 2003.

This may have added to a general feeling of injustice in Rangers quarters but in truth a hooped side that lacked 10 players with League experience this season could not really argue with the result.

Ian Holloway began with an experimental 4-2-3-1 formation but with Northampton largely untroubled in the first quarter, Rangers settled on a more conventional formation after the goal went in.

The first genuine goal threat came from Rangers in the fourth minute. Mauro Milanese's floated free kick was headed across goal by Ugo Ukah and claimed well by Mark Bunn in the Cobblers goal before Stefan Moore could pounce.

But Northampton were hardly backward in coming forward themselves and Simon Royce needed to be alert on more than one occasion in the opening 10 minutes to deal with probing Northampton attacks.

Sloppy defending from Dominic Shimmin then almost let the home side in. The former Arsenal youngster gave away possession, allowing Northampton to build an attack which culminated in Scott McGleish hitting the post with a header from a fractionally offside position.

The game continued at a lively pace with both sides enjoying concerted periods of possession. But neither goalkeeper had been properly tested by a shot at goal before Northampton took the lead in the 29th minute.

David Hunt fired a long ball over the top for Andy Kirk to chase and yet just as it seemed that Ukah would shepherd the ball back to Royce, it cannoned off the defender's back in to the path of the Northampton striker who calmly lobbed home from the edge of the area.

As soon as the goal went in, and with Rangers' lack of real penetration in mind, Ian Holloway immediately pushed Kevin Gallen up front and reverted to 4-4-2.

But it was Northampton who continued to improve and grow in confidence and Royce was forced to head clear when Kirk looked to beat the offside trap and repeat the medicine of minutes before.

Rangers were wobbling but enjoyed one of their their best moments of the half so far with 13 minutes remaining. A mad scramble ended with Bunn gratefully clasping the ball but not before Shimmin had crossed for Gallen who turned neatly and was desperately unlucky not to get a shot away.

Rangers continued to press and Mauro Milanese saw a header cleared off the line from a corner before Gallen had another shot blocked by an increasingly busy Northampton defence.

The game appeared to be reaching the interval without further alarm at either end until Evatt's red card on the stroke of half time.

Holloway brought on Marcus Bignot for Aaron Brown for the second period but Northampton continued to press, looking for a killer blow against 10-man Rangers.

Nevertheless, neither side created another clear goalscoring opportunity before the hour mark, at which point Shabazz Baidoo replaced Marc Bircham with Gallen going back in to midfield.

But the young striker had no time to make any impact before a spectacular goal from Scott McGleish. The Cobblers front man fired home an acrobatic overhead kick from Josh Low's cross to double the home side's advantage and leave Rangers with a mountain to climb.

The Superhoops kept their heads up and midway through the half a wicked low cross from Marcus Bignot was only inches away from Baidoo's outstretched boot in front of goal. But in truth Northampton had the measure of Rangers by now and the more energetic football consistently came from the men in maroon.

With 13 minutes left a fierce Adam Miller free kick was tipped behind for a corner but moments later substitute Eric Sabin saw a header go narrowly wide at the other end.

Two minutes later another overhead kick, this time from Low,  nestled in Simon Royce's goal only for the Assistant Referee to raise his flag for offside.

Then with three minutes left Sabin hit the post as the home side looked to end the game with a flourish.

That flourish duly came when Sabin was tugged back by Ukah in injury time and the former Ranger made no mistake from the spot.

Northampton: Bunn, Crowe, Chambers, Taylor, Kirk (Dudfield 80), McGleish (Sabin 72), Low (Gilligan 84), Jess, Hunt, Dyche, Bojic
unused subs: Harper, Galbraith

scorers: Kirk 29, McGleish 63, Sabin 90+1

bookings: -

Rangers: Royce, Ukah, Milanese, Shimmin, Evatt, Bircham (Baidoo 58), Bean, Miller, Brown (Bignot 46), Gallen, Moore
unused subs: Cole, Hislop, Bailey

scorers:  -

bookings: Miller 27, Bean 34, Moore 39

sent off: Evatt 45+2

attendance: 4,537 (QPR 1,164)

referee: A Hall