Rangers Face French Academy

Rangers 2 French Football Academy 2

A Rangers U15 side supplemented with four under 16’s took on a side from one of the French Regional Academies at The National Sports Centre in Largs. The game was played over two thirty-five minute halves, with Rangers dominating the first half and the French side who looked on average slightly younger having the better of the second half.

The first chance came for Rangers on six minutes when Liam Burt found Daniel Bonner inside the box but he shot across goal and wide of the keeper’s left hand post. A minute later Daniel Bonner fed Sam Jamieson on the right side of the box with the keeper saving his shot.

Rangers took the lead on the quarter-hour mark, Liam Burt won the ball at the edge of the box before lobbing the ball over the keeper and into the net. Two minutes later Max Ashmore had a chance when he broke through the inside right channel but the keeper made a decent save.

Just after the half hour Rangers were gifted a second goal, the French keeper was far too casual in dealing with a pass back and his attempted clearance rebounded off Sam Jamieson and into the net. The visitors had a chance just before the break with an attack on the right side of the Rangers penalty area with Kieran Wright saving with his legs at the near post.

Half-Time:- Rangers 2 French Football Academy 0

The French side came close in the opening minute of the second half, the ball was moved from the left across midfield to the right side of the box, the strike beat Kieran Wright but crashed off the underside of the bar. Four minutes later they reduced the deficit, winning possession midway inside the Rangers half and attacking through the centre of defence before shooting past Kieran Wright.

Rangers replied with Sam Jamieson feeding Andy Dallas on the right side of the box with the keeper saving his effort on goal. As the game entered the final fifteen minutes Andy Dallas broke into the right side of the penalty area, the keeper parried his shot from a narrow angle, Sam Jamieson knocked the rebound against the post before the defence cleared.

From a free-kick on the edge of the Rangers box the ball was deflected into the path of a French forward and it took a superb point-blank save from Ryan Millar to deny the visitors an equaliser.  A cross from the right wing then bounced off the Rangers crossbar before being cleared. The leveler did come a few minutes before the end from an attack deep inside the right side of the box, Ryan Millar produced another save from close range but was helpless when the rebound was knocked into the net.

Full-Time:- Rangers 2 French Football Academy 2

Rangers:- Kieran Wright (Ryan Millar 45mins); Kyle Bradley, Jason Krones, Robbie Smith, Ross Lyon; Sam Jamieson, Ross McCrorie, Kieran Balfour (Ben Andoh 39mins), Max Ashmore, Liam Burt (Dean Picken 44mins); Daniel Bonner (Andy Dallas 40mins).