Easy Win For Reserves

Rangers 5 St.Mirren 1

A Rangers reserve side that included Lee Wallace, Sadiq Umar and the McCrorie brothers recorded an easy win over a St.Mirren squad that included five former Rangers players at the Hummel Training Centre this afternoon.

Rangers were first to threaten on seven minutes when Lee Wallace passed to Serge Atakayi on the left side of the penalty area, he tried to curl the ball in at the far post but was just wide of target. A minute later Cammy Palmer’s pass sent Sadiq Umar through on goal but the striker shot over.

Rangers took the lead on the quarter-hour mark, Andy Dallas exchanged passes with Jordan Houston to hit the right hand byline and from his low driven cross Sadiq Umar made sure the ball crossed the line at the back post. The incident of note was an incredible refereeing decision on twenty-six minutes, Serge Atakyi dispossessed Conor MacBrearty inside the left side of the penalty area and he was clearly hauled back by the St.Mirren defender but to the surprise of those in attendance the referee cautioned the Rangers winger for simulation.

The visitors hadn’t carried a threat but nine minutes before the break Max Potter rose highest to head Josh Jeffries corner from the right wide of the far post. Rangers doubled their lead two minutes before the break, Max Potter was short with a pass back and as Sadiq Umar tried to round Lewis Muir the keeper got a touch on the ball, the ball came back to the striker with the keeper saving at point-blank range, but when the ball landed at the feet of Andy Dallas his shot crossed the line despite the best efforts of Liam Miller to keep it out.

On the stroke of half-time Stephen Kelly’s corner from the right went beyond the back post when Ross McCrorie crossed for Lewis Mayo to power a header goalwards but he was denied by a brilliant tip over from Lewis Muir.

Half-Time:- Rangers 2 St.Mirren 0

Rangers scored a third seven minutes after the break, from a free-kick on the edge of the box and left of centre Sadiq Umar fired a shot against the far post with Andy Dallas following up to net the rebound. Three minutes later Rangers fourth was a disaster for keeper Lewis Muir, he took his eye off Liam Miller’s pass back allowing the ball to run under his foot, Serge Atakayi was alert to race past the keeper and roll the ball into the net.

With quarter of an hour remaining Rangers scored a fifth, Liam Burt latched on to Liam Miller’s pass back and broke into the right side of the penalty area where he squared the ball for Sadiq Umar to net from around seven yards. Saints grabbed a consolation goal with eleven minutes remaining, Danny Finlayson was a bit casual in possession twenty- five yards from his own goal and was dispossessed by Cameron Breadner who continued into the box to shoot past Robbie McCrorie.

Full-Time:- Rangers 5 St.Mirren 1

Rangers:- Robbie McCrorie; Jordan Houston, Kyle Bradley, Lewis Mayo (Danny Finlayson 67 mins), Lee Wallace (Scott Gray HT); Ross McCrorie ( Liam Burt 57 mins); Cammy Palmer, Stephen Kelly; Andy Dallas, Sadiq Umar, Serge Atakayi (Kai Kennedy 74 mins)

Not Used:- Aidan McAdams (Gk)

St.Mirren:- Lewis Muir; Cammy MacPherson, Conor McBrearty, Liam Miller, Max Potter, Aaron Reid (Jamie Walker 54 mins); Conor O’Keefe (Cameron Breadner 74 mins), Scott Glover, Ethan Erhahon, Josh Jeffries (Matthew Grant 54 mins); Sam Jamieson.

Not Used:- David Wilson (Gk), Ben Cameron, Ross MacFarlane.