20’s Win Over Dundee At Montrose

Dundee 0 Rangers 5

Rangers Development side recorded a comfortable win over Dundee at Links Park tonight. Despite the inclusion of first team players Nick Ross and Henrik Ojamaa it appeared to be a very young Dundee side, and the game was over as a contest before the twenty-minute mark with Rangers scoring three times.

Rangers came close in the fifth minute, Jamie Barjonas passed to Josh Jeffries who moved the ball out to Liam Burt wide on the left, he worked his way along the byline before picking out Serge Atakayi around eight yards out but he was denied by a fine save from Callum Ferrie low to his right. A further five minutes had passed before Rangers took the lead, Max Ashmore’s pass down the left appeared to be covered Fraser Kemp but his pass back was short and Ross Lyon beat the keeper with a fine finish from just inside the left side of the penalty area.

The home side responded when Mark Smith flicked on a clearance from Callum Ferrie and Henrik Ojamaa’s shot from just inside the left side of the box was only just wide of Robbie McCrorie’s left hand post. Rangers capitalised on that miss by doubling their lead just after the quarter-hour mark from a well worked corner. Ross Lyon took the corner on the right and picked Andy Dallas who peeled away from his marker to shoot past the keeper.

The third goal came from a rather soft penalty on nineteen minutes. The move started with Josh Jeffries outside the right side of the box, he tried to pick out Serge Atakayi but a defender got a touch and the ball broke to the left side of the box were Liam Burt was in a race with Callum Ferrie. The keeper appeared to get a touch as he dived at the Rangers players feet but the referee judged it was a foul and pointed to the spot, and the penalty was duly converted by Jamie Barjonas.

Just before the half-hour mark Ross McCrorie slipped on the left hand angle of the box which allowed Mark Smith to break into the box but he shot straight at Robbie McCrorie. The final chance of the half came when Aidan Wilson attacked Josh Jeffiries corner from the right but volleyed just wide of the near post.

Half-Time:- Dundee 0 Rangers 3

Only five minutes of the second half elapsed when Rangers scored a fourth, Serge Atakayi attacking the right side of the penalty area leaving two defenders in his wake and shooting across the keeper into the far corner of the net. Just before the hour Josh Jeffries played the ball up to Andy Dallas on the edge of the box where he side-stepped a defender and forced a fine save from Callum Ferrie diving to his left.

Rangers next chance came when a superb first time pass from Serge Atakayi wide on the right sent Liam Burt racing through the centre with Callum Ferrie advancing from his line to make the block. The scoring was completed with twenty minutes remaining, Josh Jeffiries swung a corner from the right to the back post where Kyle Bradley arrived unmarked to head past the keeper.

Full-Time:- Dundee 0 Rangers 5

Rangers:- Robbie McCrorie; Kyle Bradley, Ross McCrorie (Jack Adamson 59 mins), Aidan Wilson (Jason Krones HT), Ross Lyon; Max Ashmore; Josh Jeffries, Jamie Barjonas; Serge Atakayi, Andy Dallas, Liam Burt (Amin Abaradan 72 mins).

Note Used:- Kieran Wright (Gk), Jordan Gibson.

Dundee:- Callum Ferrie; Sam Dryden, Kosta Gadzhalov, Matthew Smyth, Conor Quigley; Nick Ross, Finlay Robertson; Fraser Kemp (Josh Mulligan HT), Henrik Ojamaa (Lyall Cameron 56 mins), Ian Smith; Mark Smith (????? Anderson HT)

Not Used:- C Allen

Footnote:- I did say I thought it was a youn Dundee side.

“Despite the score line there are still positives for the Dees to take from this match. Kosta Gadzhalov and Henrik Ojamaa both got some much-needed game time on their returns from injury, and in midfield, 14-year-old Finlay Robertson put in an excellent performance, while his fellow 14-year-olds Josh Mulligan and Lyall Cameron also coped well with a physically powerful Rangers side.”