17’s Win At Ralston

St.Mirren 0 Rangers 4

A good performance from Rangers Under 17’s saw them emerge as comfortable winners at Ralston this afternoon. Their dominant first half display was capped with two goals in the last couple of minutes of the half and from there the home side had little chance of getting back into the game.

The first chance came in the seventh minute, Liam Burt played the ball through to Zak Rudden inside the right side of the penalty area with the Saints keeper standing tall to make the block. Within sixty seconds the home keeper was in action again, Premyslaw Dachnowicz cutting in from the left before forcing a save from the keeper at his near post.

Just after the quarter-hour mark Andy Dallas lobbed the ball over the home defence to free Zak Rudden inside the penalty area but he was again denied by the keeper. A couple of minutes later Rangers took the lead. Andy Dallas cut in from the right before exchanging passes with Zak Rudden on the edge of the box and his left foot shot left the keeper stranded as it found the net just inside the far post.

On twenty-seven minutes Premyslaw Dachnowicz skinned a defender on the left side of the box, his cross found Zak Rudden who’s attempted lob rebounded back off the crossbar. Three minutes before the break Saints carved out their only real clear-cut chance of the half, progressing into the right side of Rangers box with Kieran Wright standing up to block the shot.

Rangers responded by hitting back with two goals in the closing minutes of the half. The first came when the Saints right back took a heavy touch on a pass from his keeper, Liam Burt nipped in to steal possession before being brought down for a clear penalty, Jamie Barjonas stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot. Next up a great run from halfway by Premyslaw Dachnowicz took him past two defenders, his shot from the edge of the box came back off the keeper’s left hand post straight to Zak Rudden who fired past the keeper.

Half-Time:- St.Mirren 0 Rangers 3

Rangers started the second half where they had left off, by finding the net in the opening minute. Jamie Barjonas played a short corner on the right to Premyslaw Dachnowicz who skipped past a defender on the byline before sending in a low cross to present Zak Ruddden with a simple tap in. Within minutes Jordan Houston progressed down the right before picking out Liam Burt inside the penalty area who volleyed narrowly over.

The half was barely ten minutes old when a good touch from Liam Burt took him past the right back and he advanced deep into the box with his shot from a narrow angle being blocked at the near post by the keeper. Just after the hour Zak Rudden’s ball over the top sent Andy Dallas in the clear, from what looked like an offside position, with time to pick his spot he sent his shot wide of the keeper’s right hand post.

With a quarter-hour remaining the home side had a chance when a great delivery from a free-kick on the left found an unmarked player at the back post but he volleyed over. Rangers had one final chance before the final whistle, from Carlo Pignatiello’ s pass Zak Rudden seemed to have won the physical battle with the centre back but he sent his shot wide of the keeper’s right hand post.

Full-Time :- St.Mirren 0 Rangers 4

Rangers:- Kieran Wright; Jordan Houston (Stephen Kelly 54mins), Kyle Bradley, Lewis Mayo, Scott Gray; Jamie Barjonas (Carlo Pignatiello 59mins); Liam Burt (Mati Zata 64mins), Grant Nelson (Jason Krones 81mins); Andy Dallas (Rhys Breen 70mins), Zak Rudden, Premyslaw Dachnowicz.

Not Used:- Lewis Muir (Gk).