16’s Hit Six

Rangers 6 St.Mirren 1

Rangers Under 16’s recorded a comfortable win over their St.Mirren counterparts at Auchenhowie tonight. The breakthrough came on nine minutes, when the ball came in to the box from the left a superb Matty Yates turn created the space for him to shoot across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Just before the half-hour mark Matty Yates chased a ball into the box to challenge the keeper, the ball cleared the box to around twenty-five yards out where Kieran McKechnie fired it first time into the unguarded net.

Six minute later the Saints keeper did well to push John Balde’s powerful strike from the edge of the box up into the air, but lost the race to the rebound as Matty Yates knocked the ball into the net. Just before the break the visitors had a chance to reduce the deficit, the attack came down the left and when the cross came in the header was wide of Lewis Budinauckas right hand post.

There was still time for Rangers to grab a fourth before the break, Kieran McKechnie and Matthew Henderson worked a short corner on the left and when the cross came in Matty Yates headed the ball back where it came from and in off the post.

Half-Time:- Rangers 4 St.Mirren 0

It was St.Mirren who had the first real chance after the break with a ball over the top of the Rangers defence sending their striker racing clear but Lewis Budinauckas raced from his line to make the block. In their next attack into the left side of the box the attacker was tripped by Ryan Muir but he was rescued when Lewis Budinauckas blocked the penalty with his legs.

As the half’s twenty-minute mark approached St.Mirren got the goal their play deserved, the attack started on the right and the cross to the back post was headed across goal and knocked into the net from close range. Rangers reply was a superb passing move that started on the left with Kieran McKechnie and involved Matthew Henderson, Darren Watterson, Matty Yates and ended with Kieran McKechnie back in possession on the right, from his cross Matty Yates headed narrowly wide of the far post.

As the game approached the final quarter-hour Ryan Muir advanced to the right hand byline and picked out Callum Biggar with his cutback who slammed the ball past the keeper. The scoring was completed when John Balde rose to head a cross from the right past the keeper.

Full-Time:- Rangers 6 St.Mirrren 1

Rangers:- Lewis Budinauckas (Jay Hogarth 66 mins); Ryan Muir, Ally Monro (Mark Woods 77 mins), Jay Mack, Jamie Walker; Ben Williamson (Matthew Henderson 26 mins); Kieran McKecnie, John Balde; Tom Henderson (Lewis Robertson 72 mins), Matty Yates, Darren Watterson (Callum Biggar 72 mins).