U20’s Win Over Newcastle U23’s

Rangers 2 Newcastle United 1

Rangers Under 20’s supplemented with Under 21 goalkeeper recorded a deserved win over Newcastle United’s Under 23 side at The Hummel Training Centre this afternoon. The Ibrox youngsters fell behind against the run of play but came back strongly to win comfortably.

Rangers were unfortunate not to take the lead on four minutes, Stephen Kelly sent Andy Dallas down the right and his back-heel teed up Jordan Houston for a cross that found Serge Atakayi arriving at the back post and his first time effort came back off the under side of the bar. A couple of minutes later Stephen Kelly and Jamie Barjonas worked a short corner on the right, the ball was played to Cammy Palmer on the edge of the box and he forced a fine save from the keeper low to his left.

The visitors took the lead with their first attack on eleven minutes, their Number 10 attacked the penalty area before passing to the striker inside the left side of the box, he got the better of Aidan Wilson before shooting past Robbie McCrorie. Rangers restored parity seven minutes later, Serge Atakayi collecting the ball on the right hand angle of the box before cutting inside and beating the keeper low to his right with the aid of a slight deflection.

Eight minutes before the break the Newcastle full-back broke down the right and from his cross Matthew Shiels diverted the ball towards his own goal but was rescued when Robbie McCrorie dived to his left to turn the ball wide. With the half-time whistle two minutes away Jamie Barjonas teed up Jordan Houston’s who’s twenty-five yarder forced the keeper to turn the ball wide of his left hand post.

Half-Time:- Rangers 1 Newcastle United 1

The second half was just over five minutes old when Jordan Houston won possession inside the right side of the box and passed inside to Zak Rudden whose shot was saved low to the keeper’s left. Within two minutes Stephen Kelly’s corner from the left was headed to the edge of the box where Jamie Barjonas effort forced the keeper to tip over.

On the seventy minute mark Serge Atakayi on the left hand angle of the box passed inside to Stephen Kelly and his shot was saved by the keeper diving to his left. Within three minutes Rangers took the lead, Jamie Barjonas sent the ball out to Serge Atakayi on the left and he went passed the full-back before crossing for Zak Rudden to send a glancing header into the far top corner.

Full-Time:- Rangers 2 Newcastle United 1

Rangers:- Robbie McCrorie; Jordan Houston (Danny Finlayson 78 mins), Aidan Wilson, Lewis Mayo, Matthew Shiels; Cammy Palmer (Murray Miller 78 mins); Jamie Barjonas, Stephen Kelly (Josh McPake 78 mins); Andy Dallas (Liam Burt 65 mins), Zak Rudden, Serge Atakayi (Dapo Mebude 84 mins).