Youth Round Up

This weekend youth football fix was a double-header against Hamilton Accies at Murray Park. First up in the morning was the Under 15’s clash, Rangers seemed to be in control when they went two up but Accies came back to win it with three goals in the last twenty-five minutes.

Rangers 2 Hamilton Accies 3

The first real attack of the match came on twelve minutes, Billy Gilmour took on the Accies defence on the left, leaving  a couple of defenders in his wake, he made his way into the box and his shot from a narrow angle was diverted behind by the keeper. From the short corner on the left Kieran McKechnie shot from just inside the box which was parried by the keeper and knocked wide of the far post by Zac Butterworth.

Less than five minutes later Billy Gilmour headed the ball forward to Dapo Mebude who exchanged passes with the midfielder before firing narrowly over. Just before the half hour mark Billy Gilmour split the Accies defence to pick out Kieran McKechnie inside the right side of the penalty area, his shot beat the keeper but bounced clear off the inside of his right hand post.

A couple of minutes before the break Ben Williamson tested the keeper from a thirty yard free-kick that he tipped over.

Half-Time:- Rangers 0 Hamilton Accies 0

The visitors who hadn’t threatened in the first period came close in the early minutes of the second-half, their right back broke forward and when the ball was moved across to the left hand angle of the box the shot came back off Rangers crossbar. They threatened again just after the hour with an attack on left, a one-two took them in to the penalty area but the shot went wide of the near post.

Rangers responded by taking the lead, Billy Gilmour’s pass sent Dapo Mebude in the clear and he continued into the box before shooting past the keeper. A couple of minutes later Lewis McGrattan and Dapo Mebude combined to send the ball to Zac Butterworth on the right, his cross picked out Billy Gilmour inside the box whose header was just wide of the keeper’s right hand post.

We only had to wait a further minute for Rangers to double their lead, Nathan Patterson attacked down the right and when he crossed into the box it was cleared to the edge where Dapo Mebude shot through a crowded box and into the net. Accies replied to reducing the deficit immediately, a corner from the left wasn’t cleared by the Rangers defence and a shot was fired past Nicky Hogarth.

With thirteen minutes remaining the visitor’s drew level,  a free-kick into box from wide left was headed goalwards, Nicky Hogarth dived to his left to produce a fine save but was helpless to prevent the rebound being knocked into the net. What had looked an unlikely comeback was completed with three minutes left on the clock, the attack on the right took them into the penalty area and the ball was fired into the net.

Full-Time:- Rangers 2 Hamilton Accies 3

Rangers:- Nicky Hogarth; Nathan Patterson, Aiden Gibb, Danny Finlayson, Jamie Walker (Andy Rodden 65 mins); Ben Williamson (Ross Young 60 mins); Josh McPake (Owen McGinty 65 mins), Billy Gilmour; Kieran McKechnie (Lewis McGrattan 52 mins), Dapo Mebude, Zac Butterworth.

Next up in the afternoon was the top of the table clash at Under 17’s which Rangers won comfortably, gaining revenge for their defeat at New Douglas Park earlier in the season.

Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 1

The half had almost reached its midpoint before there was any real threat to either goal, Zak Rudden sending Liam Burt down the left, he continued into the box before shooting across goal and wide of the far post. Just before the half hour mark Rangers took the lead, Sam Jamieson’s chest layoff fed Zak Rudden on the left and when Accies defender O’Halloran slipped the Rangers striker had free run into the box to shoot past keeper McCracken.

A couple of minutes later Liam Burt played the ball forward to Andy Dallas on the edge of the box and his effort forced McCracken to tip over. The keeper was called into action again a minute later, Jamie Barjonas attacking on the right and Zak Rudden’s header from his cross forced a save from McCraken low to his right.

Right on the half-time whistle Andy Dallas teed up Liam Burt for a twenty-five yarder that was powerful enough but straight at keeper McCraken.

Half-Time:- Rangers 1 Hamilton Accies 0

The first real chance of the second half came almost twenty minutes in and it was the visitors who threatened, Scullion’s corner from the left found its way to O’Hare at the back post but he knocked his effort wide. Less than five minutes later Accies had a penalty shout as their player went down as he made his was from right to left across the box. The assistant appeared to have indicated a penalty, as play raged on and Rangers attacked and the ball was cleared behin, the referee then consulted his assistant and restarted the game with a Rangers a corner.

Rangers doubled their lead as the last quarter-hour approached, Jack Thomson won the ball on halfway and sent Jamie Barjonas through, he was impeded by both O’Halloran and McCracken inside the box and the other assistant indicated a penalty which the midfielder converted. Rangers third goal came five minutes later, Zak Rudden’s pass inside full-back Boyd sent Jamie Barjonas to the left hand byline, McCracken got a hand to the cross but knocked his straight to Aidan Wilson who blasted the ball into the net.

Accies then created a chance when Boyd overlapped on the right and passed inside to O’Hare and it took a fine Kieran Wright save to turn the ball over. Scullion curled in the corner from the left and the last touch before it crossed the line appeared to come from Aidan Wilson for an own goal.

Full-Time:- Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 1

Rangers:- Kieran Wright; Jordan Houston, Jason Krones, Lewis Mayo, Kyle Bradley (Aidan Wilson 51 mins); Jamie Barjonas; Jack Thomson, Liam Burt; Sam Jamieson (Kieran Balfour 66 mins), Zak Rudden (Matthew Shiels 87 mins), Andy Dallas (Mati Zata 90 mins).

Not Used:- Lewis Muir (Gk), Stephen Kelly.

Hamilton Accies:- McCracken; Boyd, O’Halloran, Granger, Quitongo; Ferguson; Smith (Henry 79 mins), Sheridan (O’Hare 59 mins), Connolly, Scullion; Kelly.

Footnote:- Rangers Under 13’s won 4-1 at New Douglas Park, the goals coming from Robbie Fraser, Dire Mebude, Alex Lowry & Matthew Collins.