17’s Host Accies

Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 0

Rangers U15’s and U17’s hosted Hamilton Accies at Murray Park this morning, as is usual when two games are on simultaneously I take in the older team. Three first half goals were enough to secure  a comfortable win for Rangers youngsters.

Hamilton were first to threaten after five minutes, Craig Johnston took on Jordan Wilson on the right and his shot from a tight angle flashed across goal and wide. Rangers took the lead on twenty minutes, Fraser Aird swung in a free-kick from the left and Stuart Urquhart timed his run perfectly to volley past Chris Shaw at the back post.

Three minutes later Danny Stoney won the ball on the left touchline, passed inside to Jamie Burrows who moved the ball on to Fraser Aird, the winger’s first effort was blocked but he latched on to the rebound and his effort was just wide of the keeper’s left hand post. Another free-kick on the half-hour was to provide Rangers with their second goal, this time from the right and it was taken by Tom Walsh withDarren Ramsayrising to head past Shaw.

Eight minutes before the break the home side increased their lead, Andy Murdoch won possession close to the byline on the right and his cutback was lashed past Shaw byFraser Airdfrom just inside the box. Just before the break Accies broke from midfield and Liam Kelly dived to his right to turn the shot from the edge of the box wide for a corner.

Half-Time:- Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 0

Hamilton were first to threaten after the break from a free-kick outside the right hand side of the penalty area which Liam Kelly saved comfortably. Rangers looked to have scored a fourth with twenty minutes remaining, Fraser Aird passed the ball inside to Dylan Dykes and his powerful strike from the edge of the box was touched on to the bar by the Accies keeper with the Rangers players claiming it had bounced behind the line.

With only a couple of minutes on the clock the game finished with a flurry of chances, a Hamilton free kick from the right and a back post header saw Sam George dive to his left to parry. At the other end good play on the right from Charlie Telfer looked to have setup a goal for Gloady Ntumba but he fired over from inside the six yard box.

The game ended with a stunning double save from Sam George denying Accies a consolation goal, a free-kick from the right found its way to the back post where Sam George parried at point-blank range, as the ball rolled across the six yard box a goal seemed inevitable, until the Rangers keeper somehow got back across to make another point-blank save and the danger was cleared.

Full-Time:- Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 0

Rangers:- Liam Kelly (Sam George 68mins); Craig Halkett (Charlie Telfer 46mins), Greg Pascazio (Jamie Mills 61mins), Stuart Urquhart, Jordan Wilson; Fraser Aird, Darren Ramsay, Andy Murdoch (Ryan Sinnamon 73mins), Tom Walsh (Dylan Dykes 56mins); Jamie Burrows (Gloady Ntumba 56mins), Danny Stoney.

Hamilton Accies:- Chris Shaw, Jim Finlay, Ali El-Zubaidi, Craig Watson, Matthew Craig, Darren Lyons, Craig Johnston, Jack McCue, Michael Selfridge, Eamonn Brophy, Greg Docherty.

Subs:- Paul Murphy, Andy Gibson, Stuart Connelly, Barry Daly.

Footnote:- A late goal from Ben Reilly against his former club, gave Rangers a narrow victory in the Under 15’s game.