Rangers were sent crashing out of Europe when Linas Pilibaitis's late winner gave FBK Kaunas a 2-1 victory in tonight's make-or break Champions League qualifier.

The first leg at Ibrox had ended in a goalless stalemate last week but Rangers looked set to progress on away goals when Kevin Thomson netted in the first half, despite Nerijus Radzius levelling for the hosts.

But Walter Smith's men suffered a last-gasp sucker-punch as the Lithuanians clinched the win they needed to set up a third-round qualifying meeting, likely to be with Danish side Aalborg.

A steady downpour all day meant the game was played in difficult conditions for both sets of players but Rangers quickly tried to impose themselves on the match.

Novo drove into the box from the right and unleashed a shot which goalkeeper Marian Kello managed to get a fingertip to. Charlie Adam was lurking at the far post but failed to connect.

The breakthrough came after 33 minutes and it was the visitors who surged into the lead when Thomson pounced on a Novo pass and slipped the ball through Kello's legs from a tight angle from about eight yards.

Kaunas could have restored parity when Ledesma's free-kick was missed by everyone in the box and curled inches past the post, with McGregor helpless in the Rangers goal.

Instead, it was Radzius who had the net bulging two minutes before the break with a ferocious right-footed free-kick from 30 yards.

Kaunas knew they needed a second goal and Pilibaitis was not too far away after the restart with an effort which whistled past the post, before Marius Cinikas saw his powerful shot crash off the crossbar and out of play.

With the final whistle beckoning, McGregor was called into action again, this time to smother from Kaunas substitute Bojan Mamic. But he was forced to pluck the ball out of the back of the net with just three minutes to go when Pilibaitis snatched victory with a close-range header after Rangers made a mess of defending a corner from the left.