With Rangers meeting Partick Thistle at five different age groups this weekend it presented an opportunity to take in three of those games. The Under 16’s game on Friday night was a definite, I then had to decide which Sunday games to take in, either the 13’s and 14’s games at Murray Park or the 15’s and 17’s games at Lochinch, I opted for the older age group games.
Rangers 11 Partick Thistle 0
Friday night saw Rangers Under 16’s romp to double figure win over their Thistle counterparts with the only black spot on the night being the serious facial injury sustained by keeper Lewis Muir. Rangers took an early lead after only three minutes, Cammy Palmer picking out Matthew Shiels run into the box allowing him to shoot past the keeper. On eleven minutes Mati Zata and Cammy Palmer exchanged passes to sent the former through inside the right side of the box, the keeper coming off his line to block.
The next chance again came on the right side of the penalty area with Michael Hewitt picking out Jack Adamson with the keeper saving the striker’s shot. The second goal came on the twenty-minute mark, Carlo Pignatiello passed to Mati Zata who played the ball forward to Jack Adamson on the right, from his ball across goal Cammy Palmer forced a point-blank save from the keeper who was helpless as Matthew Shiels netted the rebound.
As the midway point of the half approached Cammy Palmer’s pass split the Thistle defence sending Jack Adamson through the inside left channel to continue into the box and shoot past the keeper. The next incident in the game saw Michael Hewitt chase a through ball with a Thistle attacker, as Lewis Muir came from his goal the two Rangers players collided, Michael Hewitt was able to continue after treatment but Lewis Muir had to be replaced by Brian Kinnear.
For the remainder of the half Rangers were denied by some great goalkeeping, denying Jack Adamson and Matthew Shiels twice when goals looked likely. Not to be out done Brian Kinnear produced a superb point-blank save when the ball broke kindly for the Thistle striker inside the box.
Half-Time:- Rangers 3 Partick Thistle 0
Rangers got of to a flyer in the second half finding the net in the opening minute, substitute Dapo Mebude exchanged passes with Stephen Kelly before shooting past Thistle’s substitute keeper. Four minutes later Rangers scored a fifth with a very similar move, this time it Mati Zata who found the net after exchanging passes with Cammy Palmer on the edge of the box.
Rangers were now rampant and the next came when the ball was moved from Mati Zata through Stephen Kelly and onto Dapo Mebude to provide the finish. As the hour mark approach Rangers hit Thistle with two goals within a minute, the first came when Jason Krones drilled a low free-kick from just outside the right side of the box into the keeper’s bottom right hand corner. Cammy Palmer created the next from the left side of the box, Dapo Mebude’s initial effort was blocked but he followed up to slam the rebound into the net.
The visitor’s continued to plug away and following an attack down the right when the ball was played across the box it forced Brian Kinnear into a decent save. Normal service was soon resumed and a quick break saw Rangers hit Thistle with another goal, Carlo Pignatiello broke forward before sending Dapo Mebude clear inside the left side of the penalty area to beat the keeper.
The next goal came following some neat play from Josh McPake outside the right side of the box and a superb reverse pass to release Jack Adamson who made no mistake to grab Rangers tenth. There was still time for another goal when the referee adjudged Jack Adamson was pushed over inside the box and Carlo Pignatiello stepped up to convert the spot kick.
Full-Time:- Rangers 11 Partick Thistle 0
Rangers:- Lewis Muir (Brian Kinnear 30mins); Michael Hewitt, Jason Krones (Jamie Walker 59mins), Danny Finayson, Scott Blacklaw; Cammy Palmer; Mati Zata (Josh McPake 59mins), Carlo Pignatiello; Stephen Kelly (Billy Gilmour 59mins), Jack Adamson, Matthew Shiels (Dapo Mebude HT).
Partick Thistle 2 Rangers 6
First up on Sunday was the Under 15’s lunch time kick-off and it only took Rangers six minutes to open the scoring, Josh McPake’s pass sending Niyah Joseph through to continue into the box and shoot past the keeper. Rangers were having the bulk of possession but the second goal didn’t come until after the half-hour, Billy Gilmour getting on the end of Kieran McKechnie’s superb cross from the right to prod past the keeper.
Just before the break Josh McPake passed to Kieran McKechnie who’s effort from the right side of the penalty area came back off the cross bar.
Half-Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 2
The home side got back into the game two minutes after the break, the attack came down the left and when the ball came into the middle the striker shot past Nicky Hogarth. Rangers replied with Kieran McKechnie cutting in from the right and forcing the home keeper to dive to his left to save the shot from the edge of the box.
On fifty-five minutes the powerful Thistle striker brushed through two challenges before shooting straight at Nicky Hogarth. Within a couple of minutes a good passing move released Josh McPake inside the right side of the box, his shot was saved and a defender got back to clear Dapo Mebude’s effort from the rebound off the line. From the resultant Kieran McKechnie , Billy Gilmour headed on and Josh McPake’s shot was saved .
Within in a minute Dapo Mebude attacked down the left before passing inside for Josh McPake to shoot straight at the keeper. Midway through the half Rangers restored their two goal cushion, Dapo Mebude exchanged passes with Billy Gilmour on the edge of the box before going past a defender and slotting past the keeper.
Thistle responded within in two minutes their attacker outpaced Zack Butterworth chasing a ball down the left, before cutting inside Jay Mack and shooting across Brian Kinnear and into the far corner. Within sixty seconds Rangers had again restored their two goal margin, Jamie Walker broke down the left before passing to Dapo Mebude, his pass into the box saw Lewis McGrattan’s brilliant controlled side footed finish find the net off the inside of the far post.
A few minutes inside the final quarter-hour Billy Gimour’s corner from the left fell kindly for Ben Williamson inside the six yard box to beat the keeper from close range. With seven minutes remaining indecision from a free kick from the right allowed the Thistle player to get their first but he knocked the ball wide of Brian Kinnear’s left hand post.
Two minutes later Zack Butterworth left a defender dead on the right hand byline before cutting the ball back for Dapo Mebude who was denied at point-blank range by the keeper. In the final minute Dapo Mebude cut in from the right before going for goal, his shot beat the keeper but bounced of his right hand post. There was still time for another attack from Dapo Mebude down the right, this time when he cut the ball back Lewis McGrattan arrived to shoot past the keeper.
Full-Time:- Partick Thistle 2 Rangers 6
Rangers Squad:- Nicky Hogarth (Gk), Brian Kinnear (Gk), Nathan Patterson, Zack Butterworth, Ross Young, Jay Mack, Jamie Walker, Kieran McKechnie, Billy Gilmour, Niyah Joseph, Lewis McGrattan, Josh McPake, Danny Finllayson, Dapo Mebude, Andy Rodden, Ben Williamson.
Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 7
Next up was the Under 17’s fixture and again Rangers ran out comfortable winners. As early as the fourth minute Liam Burt broke towards the Thistle box and his shot forced a fine save from the keeper to turn the ball round his left hand post. Rangers took the lead just before the twenty-minute mark, Grant Nelson sending Zak Rudden through the inside right channel, he continued into the box before beating the keeper at his near post. Midway through the half Kyle Bradley broke forward from full back before beating the keeper from the edge of the box but the ball cannoned off his left hand post.
Just after the half hour Rangers had Kieran Wright to thank for keeping their lead intact, the attack came down the right and when the ball was centred the Rangers keeper managed to block the shot with his legs, Rangers capitalised by going straight to the other end and increasing their lead. Andy Dallas won the ball near the right hand corner flag and passed to Zak Rudden who laid it back to Kyle Bradley who’s shot from the angle of the box beat the keeper.
Six minutes before the break Liam Burt tricked ad defender on the left hand byline, with the keeper blocking his shot from a narrow angle at his near post. Four minutes later Liam Burt’s shot from the edge of the box was parried by the keeper with Zak Rudden pouncing to net the rebound but the referee judged he was offside.
Thistle created a chance before the half-time whistle when the ball was played to the striker on the edge of the box but the shot was straight at Kieran Wright.
Half-Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 2
Rangers began the second half on the front foot, Jack Thomson breaking from defence before playing a one-two with Grant Nelson, Zak Rudden tried a back heel from his low cross that the keeper saved. A couple of minutes later a corner from the right was played back to Jack Thomson and his shot from twenty-five yards was only just wide of the keeper’s left hand post.
In the next attack Liam Burt nutmegged a defender on the left hand byline but again the keeper was good enough to deny his effort from a tight angle. On the hour mark Grant Nelson in possession inside the right side of the box passed to Zak Rudden who was denied when the keeper blocked with his legs.
Rangers increased their lead a minute later, Stephen Kelly’s pass sent Andy Dallas down the left and his centre was fired past the keeper by Liam Burt. On sixty-five minutes Stephen Kelly came close with a brilliant effort, from inside the right side the penalty area he turned and chipped the ball over the keeper only to see the ball bounce from the crossbar.
Rangers scored a fourth midway through the half, Stephen Kelly’s corner from the right was headed goalwards by Liam Burt from the edge of the box, the keeper punched clear but only as far as Kyle Bradley on the left hand angle of the box and he volleyed the ball through a crowded penalty area and into the net. Within a couple of minutes Stephen Kelly won the ball just outside the Thistle box, passed to Zak Rudden who moved it on to Liam Burt to shoot past the keeper.
Rangers next goal came when Stephen Kelly on the left played a short corner to Lewis Mayo who passed inside for Jack Thomson to strike a superb twenty-five yarder past the keeper. The scoring was completed with two minutes remaining, Liam Burt’s pass freeing Premyslaw Dachnowicz inside the left side of the penalty area and he rounded the keeper before rolling the ball into the net.
Full-Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 7
Rangers:- Kieran Wright; Kyle Bradley, Jack Thomson, Lewis Mayo, Scott Gray (Jason Krones 59mins); Jamie Barjonas (Keiran Balfour HT), Grant Nelson: Sam Jamieson (Stephen Kelly HT); Liam Burt, Zak Rudden (Mati Zata 70mins), Andy Dallas (Premyslaw Dachnowicz 67mins).
Not Used:- Brian Kinnear (Gk)
Footnote:- Meanwhile at Murray Park Rangers Under 13’s hit nine without reply and the 14’s overcame Thistle 6-4.
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