Weekend Youth Round Up

With youths teams scheduled to meet Partick Thistle at four age groups on Sunday the venues and kick-off times meant I could take in three of the four games. A 10am kick-off at Auchenhowie for the Under 13’s followed by kick-offs at 12:15 and 2:15 at Lochinch for the 15’s and 17’s games.

Rangers 4 Partick Thistle 2

This morning’s game at Auchenhowie was an entertaining affair and I felt Rangers deserved their win. Perhaps a single goal margin would have been a fairer reflection of the ninety minutes.

Thistle were first to threaten with an attack down the right and when the ball was played inside the shot forced a save from Jack Glen diving to his left. Rangers responded immediately with Kole Connelly’s pass sending Jamie Newton racing clear, his shot beat the keeper but came back off the crossbar.

Midway through the half Thistle took the lead, a corner was swung in from the left and it took a flick of a defender’s head and looped in at the back post for an own goal. Again Rangers had an immediate response Ryan Muir sending Ricco Diack through the inside right channel but he shot just wide of the far post.

In Rangers next attack the ball was played up to Ricco Diack on the edge of the box and he turned a defender before shooting past the keeper. The visitor’s had an early chance at the start of the second period with a shot from the edge of the box that was straight at Jack Glen.

The end to end theme continued with Euan Ross and Zak Mackay combining to tee up a shot for Jamie Newton from the edge of the box that the keeper saved comfortably. Ricco Diack then sent Zak Mackay racing down the right, he went past two defenders before returning the ball to Ricco Diack whose shot from distance was tipped over.

Twelve minutes into the second period Thistle missed a great chance to take the lead, Brodie Kerr was dispossessed on the edge of the box but was rescued when Jack Glen produced a fine point-blank save. Rangers capitalised on their keeper’s save by going up the other end and taking the lead. Zak Mackay got to the right hand byline and cut the ball back to Ricco Diack, he held the ball up well before teeing up Jamie Newton to shoot past the keeper.

The next attack came at the other end  with Thistle attacking the right side of the box, when the ball was played inside the shot beat Kyle Budinauckas but bounced off his right hand post. The equaliser came with six minutes of the period remaining, Rangers got caught trying  to play out from the back and the ball was fired past Kyle Budinauckas.

Rangers were pushing to get back in front before the period end and when a Zak Queen corner found its way to Elliot Dunlop on the edge of the box his shot forced the keeper to dive to his right to save. Seconds later Elliot Dunlop went past a defender inside the left side of the penalty area and crossed to the back post for Brodie Kerr to nod into the net.

Early in the final period Rangers came close to extending their lead, Zak Queen sending Zak Mackay racing through the inside right channel but his shot bounced of the far post. The goal was only delayed a couple of minutes, Elliot  Dunlop passed to Zak Mackay who went past a defender on halfway line and broke down the left, he took on another defender as he broke into the box and shot past the keeper.

Thistle came close to a third goal when an indirect free-kick was touched to the side and the shot rebounded off Kyle Budinauckas left hand post. The final chance came when Zak Mackay won possession and broke into the right side of the box but was denied by a superb save with the keeper’s touch diverting the ball on to the underside of the bar.

Full-Time:- Rangers 4 Partick Thistle 2

Rangers Squad:- Jack Glen (Gk), Kyle Budinauckas (Gk), Max Conway, Adam Forrester, Brodie Kerr, Ryan Murray, Euan Ross, Kole Connelly, Callum Sandilands, Zak Mackay, Ricco Diack, Jamie Newton, Kian Gunn, Elliot Dunlop, Zak Queen

 

Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 1

In contrast to the previous game the 15’s game was disappointing with few chances and only a penalty to separate the teams.

There was little of note in the first half with a long-range effort from each team. Thistle’s came first when the ball was played up to Albert Orr and he teed up Billy Owens to shoot from around twenty-five yards that Jay Hogarth saved comfortably to his left. Rangers effort was a twenty-five yard free-kick from Robbie Fraser that Mason McCready couldn’t hold and with a couple of Rangers players waiting to pounce the referee blew for offside.

Half-Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 0

Rangers had an early chance after the break when Aiden Berry played the ball out to Lewis Robertson on the left, he cut inside before shooting which the keeper saved at the near post. Five minutes later Arron Lyall and Alex Lowry combined on the right side of the box to set up a chance for Cole McKinnon that the keeper saved at the near post.

Just after the hour Aaron Lyall sent in a corner from the right that Leon King headed goalwards with the keeper saving low at his right hand post. Rangers made the break through at the midpoint of the half, Aaron Lyall took on the defence inside the right side of the box and was brought down with Robbie Fraser converting the penalty.

The home side had a chance when Aiden Berry’s headed pass back was a bit short but Albert Orr fired over. In the final minute Aaron Lyall opened up the right side of the Thistle defence with a one-two with Adam Devine but shot just wide of the far post. Thistle had one final chance with a Robaidh Whyte twenty-five yarder that Jay Hogarth saved to his right.

Full -Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 1

Rangers Squad:- Jay Hogarth (Gk), Rhys Caves, Aiden Berry, Leon King, Ben Duncan, Robbie Fraser, Alex Lowry, Reegan Aitken, Lewis Robertson, Matthew Collins, Matthew Henderson, Adam Devine, Cole McKinnon, Adam Mansouri, Aaron Lyall.

 

Partick Thistle 1 Rangers 5

Last up was the under 17’s clash with Rangers looking for revenge after their recent Glasgow Cup defeat. With Ciaran Dickson suspended and Kyle McLelland and Dapo Mebude in tomorrow’s youth cup squad there were a few changes. Rangers chose to take the option of fielding one Under 18 player, which allowed Jack Thomson to get another forty-five minutes under his belt as he returns from injury.

There was only five minutes of the clock when Rangers took the lead, Kai Kennedy passed to Jack Thomson on the edge of the box and his neat back heel setup Matty Yates to find the net off the inside of the keeper’s right hand post. Less than five minutes later Kai Kennedy touched a free-kick to Jack Thomson who’s shot took a wicked deflection but the keeper manged to change direction and touch the ball on to his right hand post.

The half had just passed the midpoint when Thistle drew level, the attack down the left took them to the byline and the cross was headed past Nicky Hogarth at the back post. The home side created another chance five minutes before the break with an attack into the right side of the box with Nicky Hogarth saving the shot.

Rangers took the lead on the stroke of half-time with a superb goal, Zac Butterworth progressed down the left and from  his cross Kieran McKechnie met it full on the volley to give the keeper no chance.

Half-Time:- Partick Thistle 1 Rangers 2

Rangers extended their lead two minutes after the break when Josh McPake capitalised on a slip by a defender on the left side of the box to shoot past the keeper. On ten minutes he chased a Murray Miller through ball and went wide of the keeper but could only find the side netting.

Midway through the half Kai Kennedy cut in from the left and from his cross come shot Matty Yates got a touch but the ball bounced off the far post. Rangers extended their lead with just over ten minutes remaining, Nick Hogarth’s ball over the Thistle defence freed Josh McPake to continue into the box and neatly lob the keeper.

Murray Miller and Jamie Walker then combined on the left hand side of the box to tee up Matty Yates whose shot was deflected narrowly wide of the keeper’s right hand post. With five minutes remaining Jay Mack broke forward and exchanged passes with Kai Kennedy before seeing his shot cleared off the line.

The scoring was completed in the final minute when a neat Josh McPake flick inside the box freed Matty Yates to shoot past the keeper. 

Full-Time:- Partick Thistle 1 Rangers 5

Rangers:- Nicky Hogarth (Lewis Budinauckas 82 mins); Nathan Patterson, Jay Mack, Harris O’Connor, Zac Butterworth (Jamie Walker 59 mins); Ben Williamson; Jack Thomson (Murray Miller HT), Kai Kennedy; Kieran McKechnie (Euan Deveney 71 mins), Matty Yates, John Balde (Josh McPake HT).