Youth Double Header

Today was an opportunity to watch the two older youth sides, the Under 17’s taking on Hamilton Accies at Auchenhowie in the morning and the under 19’s hosting Burnley at Ibrox in the afternoon. It was a disappointing day in terms of results finishing with a draw and a defeat in two games they really should have won.

Rangers 0 Hamilton Accies 0

The League hopes for Rangers Under 17’s suffered a blow when they failed to break down Hamilton Accies at Auchenhowie this morning. The Ibrox youngsters pretty much controlled the game but they only really put the visitors under sustained pressure at the start of the second half. In the opening minute Dapo Mebude collected a Nathan Patterson throw in  and flicked the ball over the head of a defender and into the right side of the box before volleying over. Six minutes later Kyle Munro got to the left hand byline, his cross had Lewis Budinauckas stretching to claw away and when the ball bounced beyond the back post Andrew Winter’s header bounced off the cross-bar.

Both teams pretty much cancelled each other out  until seven minutes before the break when Rangers missed a great chance. Some good work from Josh McPake took him along the left hand byline and his cutback found James Maxwell on the edge of the six yard box but he failed to connect properly and the ball drifted past the far post.

Half- Time:- Rangers 0 Hamilton Accies 0

Three minutes after the break Cammy Palmer’s pass released Josh McPake inside the right side of the penalty area, Ross Connelly made the save with Kai Kennedy knocking the rebound wide of the far post. Barely sixty seconds later another pass again picked out Josh McPake inside the box with Ross Connelly getting down to his let to make the save.

The half was only six minutes old when Rangers created their third gilt-edged chance of the half. Kai Kennedy and Dapo Mebude combined to set up Josh McPake inside the left side of the box but again he was denied by Ross Connelly diving to his left. The visitors hadn’t threatened after the break but on sixty-five minutes Leon McCann broke forward from the halfway line before shooting from the edge of the box which Lewis Budinauckas turned wide of his right hand post.

With a minute remaining Rangers had a great chance to win it,  Josh McPake inside the right side of the box passed inside to Dapo Mebude but Ross Connelly blocked the shot with his foot. Deep into injury time when Dapo Mebude was challenged on the right hand angle of the box the ball broke for Josh McPake whose shot too a deflection but Ross Connelly saved comfortably low to his left.

Full-Time:- Rangers 0 Hamilton Accies 0

Rangers:- Lewis Budinauckas; Nathan Patterson, Danny Finlayson, Jay Mack, Zac Butterworth; Ben Williamson (Murray Miller 57 mins); Kai Kennedy, Cammy Palmer; James Maxwell (Ciaran Dickson HT), Dapo Mebude, Josh McPake.

Not Used:- Jay Hogarth (Gk), Joao Balde, Matty Yates, Ryan Muir, Euan Deveney.

Hamilton Accies:- Ross Connelly; Leon McCann, Jamie Hamilton, Taylor Wilson, Reegan Mimnaugh; Daryl Miekle; Andrew Winter (Niyah Joseph 51 mins), Marley Redfern (Jamie Harrison 51 mins),  Liam Scullion, Kyle Munro; Sean Slaven.

Not Used:- Jay Blair, Rhys Casci, Adam McLean.

 

Rangers 1 Burnley 3

A failure to take some of the numerous chances created and poor defending proved costly for Rangers Under 19’s against Burnley at Ibrox, but they really will be wondering how they lost this game.

Rangers came close to opening the scoring on seven minutes, Zak Rudden chased a Jordan Houston clearance into the right side of the box, his neat back heel setup the chance for Glenn Middleton but some how Oli Younger got back to clear from the line. The Burnley defender came to his sides rescue again a minute later, Glenn Middleton on the left side of the box passed inside to Zak Rudden whose turn and shot was net bound until it was blocked.

Rangers took the lead on ten minutes Jamie Barjonas passed to Glenn Middleton on the right and he hit the byline before cutting back for Stephen Kelly to shoot past the keeper from around the penalty spot. Just after the quarter-hour mark Stephen Kelly passed to Serge Atakayi who skipped past a defender on the left hand byline and cut the ball back for Glenn Middleton who’s shot was cleared off the line by Scott Wilson.

A few minutes later a great piece of skill from Stephen Kelly took him clear of three defenders and he fed Glenn Middleton inside the left side of the box who shot across the face of goal. Midway through the half a speculative thirty yard effort from Jack Thomson bounced off Aiden Stone’s left hand post with Zak Rudden flagged offside as he nodded in the rebound.

As the half entered the final ten minutes Burnley equalised with their first real attack, Mace Goodridge delivered the corner from the right and Rob Harker rose to head past Aidan McAdams. Rangers responded when Zak Rudden’s flick sent Glenn Middleton racing into the left side of the box, his cutback was meant for Serge Atakayi but broke to Zak Rudden whose shot was cleared off the line by Scott Wilson.

Just before the break Rangers lost what was probably a worse goal defensively than the first. They seemed to be caught out by the length of Jordan Cropper’s throw from the right and Tundi Bayonde headed in at the back post.

Half-Time:- Rangers 1 Burnley 2

Rangers had the first chance after the break Zak Rudden feeding Glenn Middleton inside the left side of the penalty area with Aiden Stone saving at his near post. Midway through the half Burnley doubled their lead, Rob Harker was the wall for Jordan Cropper’s one-two on the right side of the box and was then on hand to convert the full-back’s cut back from close range.

Rangers came close two minutes later, Glenn Middleton sent Jordan Houston racing to the right hand byline, from his cross Zak Rudden’s header looked destined for the net until Adam Bruce produced a stunning point-blank save. Ten minutes later Zak Rudden inside the box moved the ball to Andy Dallas on the right, his shot beat the keeper but bounced of his right hand post. Burnley broke immediately through Marley Blair with Keiran Wright getting down to his left to save the shot from the edge of the box.

Hesitancy inside the Rangers box presented Marley Blair with another chance that Kieran Wright again saved to his left. The final chance came from a Glenn Middleton free-kick on the right hand angle of the box that was parried by Adam Bruce before being cleared.

Full-Time:- Rangers 1 Burnley 3

Rangers:- Aidan McAdams (Kieran Wright 60 mins); Jordan Houston (Michael Hewitt 80 mins), Kyle Bradley, Lewis Mayo, Matthew Shiels (Scott Gray 80 mins); Jack Thomson; Jamie Barjonas (Liam Burt 67 mins), Stephen Kelly; Glenn Middleton, Zak Rudden,  Serge Atakayi (Andy Dallas 67 mins).

Burnley:- Aiden Stone (Adam Bruce 50 mins); Jordan Cropper, Oli Younger, Scott Wilson (Teddy Perkins 50 mins), Ali Konke (Antony Glennon 60 mins); Josh Benson; Christian N’Guessan, Mace Goodridge, James Clarke; Tundi Bayode (Rob Harker 16 mins), Tinashe Chakwana (Marley Blair 60 mins).