Milk Cup Warm Up For 16’s

Rangers 4 Partick Thistle 1

Rangers Under 16’s took on Partick Thistle in a friendly at Murray Park tonight, it was a final warm up before they head to Northern Ireland for the Milk Cup next week. A series of missed chances when almost proved costly when Thistle missed a great chance of their own as the game entered the final quarter-hour. Rangers responded by adding two further goals that put a more accurate reflection on the ninety minutes.

The first opportunity came when Carlo Pignatiello passed to Zak Rudden on the halfway line, the striker headed towards the Thistle box before passing to Jordan Houston breaking into the right side of the penalty area, his shot went across the face of goal and wide of the far post. Rangers should have taken the lead soon after when Zak Rudden outstripped the Thistle defence down the right, when he entered the box he shot for goal with the Thistle keeper standing up to make a fine save.

The goal came on the sixth minute, Cammy Palmer’s pass sent Zak Rudden through the inside right channel and when he got into the box he unselfishly rolled the ball across goal for Matthew Shiels to knock the ball into the net. Thistle threatened five minutes later, the Trialist keeper was late in seeing the shot from the edge of the box but got down to his right to make the save.

Midway through the half a Matthew Shiels pass sent Zak Rudden clear in the inside left position but he screwed his shot wide of the near post. Just after the half-hour Scott Gray tried to catch the keeper out from a free- kick wide on the right but he reacted to turn the ball wide of his near post.

Rangers then missed two great opportunities to increase their lead, Zak Rudden’s pass sent Matthew Shiels through, when he cut inside a defender deep inside the penalty area a goal looked certain, but again the keeper stood up to make another fine save. Just before the break some good skill took Carlo Pignatiello  clear of two defenders in midfield before threading a pass through to Matthew Shiels, he tried to prod the ball past the advancing keeper who got down to his left to save.

Half-Time:- Rangers 1 Partick Thistle 0

Rangers didn’t have to wait long after the break before increasing their lead, Jordan Houston turned past a defender on the left side of the box, with his shot taking a significant deflection that totally wrong footed the keeper and ended up in the net. Within sixty seconds the ball was won by Mati Zata and moved onto  Stephen Kelly who setup Zak Rudden on the left side of the box, the keeper dived to his left to get a touch and a defender completed the clearance from just in front of goal.

The next attack came on the right side of the box Mati Zata exchanging passes with Zak Rudden before forcing a save from the keeper. Thistle replied with a superb twenty-five yard drive the beat the Trialist keeper before crashing off the underside of the bar.

Rangers were soon back on the attack, a Scott Gray pass sent Zak Rudden down the left, with possibly better options in the centre he shot from a narrow angle with the keeper saving at the near post. Thistle reduced the deficit on seventy-six minutes, the ball was moved in from the left and the powerful strike from the edge of the box gave Lewis Muir no chance.

Rangers reacted with a Zack Butterworth pass sending Premyslaw Dachnowicz attacking through the centre, he went past a defender on the edge of the box before going for goal with the keeper stretching to tip his shot over. Thistle then missed a glorious chance to equalise, the ball was worked out to wide right and when the cross came to an unmarked player at the back post he headed over with the goal gaping.

Rangers then restored their two goal cushion three minutes later, Zack Butterworth attacked down the left, his pass into the box found Cammy Palmer who laid the ball back to Premyslaw Dachnowicz who found the net from just inside the box. A Carlo Pignatiello pass then sent Dapo Mebude through on the right with the Thistle keeper doing well to block his shot with his legs.

Rangers completed the scoring with a well worked goal with a couple of minutes remaining, Dapo Mebude passed to Michael Hewitt wide on the right, he passed inside to Josh McPake who picked out Cammy Palmer’s run into the box and he continued to beat the keeper from close range.

Full-Time:- Rangers 4 Partick Thistle 1

Rangers Squad:- Trialist (Gk), Lewis Muir (Gk), Jordan Houston, Scott Gray, Cammy Palmer, Lewis Mayo, Rhys Breen, Carlo Pignatiello, Mati Zata, Zak Rudden, Stephen Kelly, Matthew Shiels, Michael Hewitt, Premyslaw Dachnowicz, Scott Blacklaw, Dapo Mebude, Zack Butterworth, Josh McPake.