17’s Crash At Lesser Hampden

Queen’s Park 3 Rangers 0

Rangers under 17’s turned in a poor performance at Lesser Hampden tonight, going down to an impressive Queen’s Park side, who were unfortunate not to win the reverse fixture at Murray Park earlier in the season.

The first incident of note came on fourteen minutes when Gloady Ntumba was brought down at the edge of the box, I’m not one to look for red cards in youth games but it was certainly a goal scoring opportunity and the referee did the Queen’s Park defender a favour by only showing a yellow card, Dylan Dykes took the resultant free-kick which deflected off the wall and over.

The home side took the lead not long after the half hour mark, the Rangers defence failed to clear a corner from the left and in the ensuing scramble the home side claimed the ball had crossed the line, the officials initially waved play on and but when the ball was knocked out of play the referee consulted his linesman and awarded a goal. Five minutes before the break a free kick midway inside the Rangers half was taken by former Ranger Blair Spittal and he found a colleague free inside the box who knocked the ball wide of Liam Kelly’s left hand post.

Rangers only reply was a long-range drive from Jordan Wilson which was only just wide of the keeper’s left hand post. A minute before the break Rangers gifted the home side a second, with little danger Jordan Wilson had possession in the left back position and elected to pass the ball back to his keeper but failed to notice the Queen’s Park striker lurking inside the box and he had the simple chance to poke the ball past the stranded Liam Kelly.

Half-Time:- Queen’s Park 2 Rangers 0

The second half started in the same fashion, with the home side in the ascendancy, from some neat play down the right a dangerous cross had Rangers keeper Liam Kelly scrambling to kick the ball clear. Ten minutes had passed  when the home side extended their lead, cutting in from the right the shot across Liam Kelly found the bottom corner.

Two minutes later another attack down the right and pass inside created a shooting chance from twenty-five yards which  bounced of Liam Kelly’s right hand post with the keeper beaten. Rangers were denied a goal on the hour mark, Danny Stoney broke towards the box and was brought down right on the 18 yard line, the ball fell kindly for Dylan Dykes who shot past the keeper into the net, but the referee pulled play back and awarded a free kick, which Tom Walsh fired high over.

As the game entered the final twenty minutes good play on the right from Danny Stoney created a good chance for Kjeld McIntyre but his shot was deflected just wide of the keeper’s left hand post.  Rangers suffered another blow when Craig Halkett had to leave the field with suspected concussion leaving the Ibrox side to play out the final ten minutes with ten men.  The final minute saw Rangers confirm it was a bad night when Dylan Dykes sent Danny Stoney through on goal, a consolation goal looked likely but the Rangers striker shot wide of the keeper’s left hand post.

Full-Time:- Queen’s Park 3 Rangers 0

Rangers:- Liam Kelly; Ryan Sinnamon, Craig Halkett, Greg Pascazio, Jordan Wilson; Luke Hammond (Kjeld McIntyre 46mins), Dylan Dykes, Tom Walsh, Jamie Mills (Ross Kellock 71mins); Danny Stoney, Gloady Ntumba (Scott Lochrie 55mins)

Not Used:- Sam George (Gk), Robert McLardie