16’s Win At Lesser Hampden

Queen’s Park 0 Rangers 3

The game was billed as U16 (2002’s), the Rangers squad included players in the range 2001’s through to 2004’s. The squad also included an Australian trialist and three from Northern Ireland.

Rangers took the lead just before the twenty-minute mark, Ryan Muir broke forward and passed to Matty Yates who’s superb turn created the space to shoot high past the keeper into his top left hand corner. With the half hour mark a couple of minutes away Queen’s Park attacked on the right and when the play was switched to the left hand angle of the box Lewis Budinauckas got down to his right to save the shot at his near post.

With a couple of minutes of the half remaining Matty Yates found John Balde with a cross from the right side of the box and the home keeper stretched to save the header at the back post. On the stroke of half-time James Maxwell fired in a free-kick from the right hand angle of the box which the keeper turned onto his near post and wide. There was still time for Queen’s to break down the right and the cross found their striker unmarked but he shot straight at Lewis Budinauckas.

Half-Time:- Queen’s Park 0 Rangers 1

Rangers doubled their lead in the opening minute of the second half, James Maxwell’s turn inside the right side of the penalty area took him to the right hand byline and his low cross was converted at close range by Matty Yates. Five minutes later Matty Yates broke through the inside left channel on a Ben Williamson pass, with the keeper diving to his left to turn his shot wide. The home side attacked within sixty seconds and when the ball came in from the right it took a superb Ryan Muir clearance to send the ball over the bar.

As the hour mark approach Queen’s Park broke through the inside left channel but were thwarted when Lewis Budinauckas advanced from his line to block with his foot. Rangers were soon back on the attack with James Maxwell taking on a defender inside the right side of the box, his shot was cleared from the line with Cole McKinnon hitting the keeper with the rebound.

The scoring was completed midway through the half, Robbie Fraser passed to James Maxwell on the right side of the box, he cut inside past a couple of defenders before shooting past the keeper from the edge of the box.

Queen’s Park 0 Rangers 3

Rangers:- Lewis Budinauckas (Jack McConnell 78 mins); Ryan Muir, Ben Williamson, Leon King (Lewis McKinnon HT), Darren Watterson (Fraser Dunlop 66 mins); Robbie Fraser; Callum Biggar (Aaron Lyall 66 mins), Zac Butterworth (Matthew Lusty 60 mins); John Balde (Cole McKinnon 60 mins), Matty Yates (Ross McAusland 66 mins), James Maxwell.