IT was Carling Mates Challenge time again at Ibrox on Saturday as Rangers fans James Leslie, David McDougall, Craig Buchanan, John Strachan and Stuart Waddell got the chance to fulfil their dreams; taking to the pitch to show off their skills in front of almost 50,000 home supporters.

They each had the chance to score against Gers youth keeper Mark Weir knowing that if they found the back of the net, they would be VIP guests at the Rangers v Gretna game in the Carling Lounge.

To add a twist to the event, if any of the guys missed, they could gamble and risk the places they had won to win back the places for the guys who didn't score.

They would select one of the mates to have one more shot to book all 5 places in the Carling Lounge.

So how did they get on?

Well they couldn't have made a better start as James Leslie showed no signs of nerves to coolly nutmeg Mark Weir and get the boys off to a flier! 

David McDougall was next up but couldn't follow in James' footsteps as he fired his effort straight at youth keeper Weir.

Craig Buchanan was the third mate to try his luck, and he showed his class by placing his effort into the keeper's bottom right hand corner.

The fourth mate was John Strachan (a surname which produced a hostile reaction from the home support!) who failed to get the better of his nerves and fired wide of the 'keeper's right hand post.

Last up was Stuart Waddell who made no mistake as he lashed his effort into the postage stamp leaving Mark Weir with no chance.

Three scored from five attempts then left the lads with the difficult decision of whether to keep what they had or gamble for all five to go to hospitality in the Carling Lounge.

The decision was taken to gamble - and what a decision it turned out to be! Craig Buchanan was the man charged with firing the mates into the Carling Lounge and he did so in style. Craig was the epitome of composure as he beat Mark Weir with a carbon copy of his first strike.

Congratulations to the lads then, the first successful Carling Mates Challenge participants of the season. They'll take in Rangers v Gretna on Saturday 23rd February - in Carling VIP style!

Log on to www.carling.com for your chance to win Rangers tickets.