18’s Leave It Late

Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 2

Rangers Under 18’s it late with two goals in the last four minutes to beat Partick Thistle  at Lochinch tonight. Rangers were pretty dominant in the second half after a first half where chances were evenly split. 

The home side had the first chance on eight minutes when  a cross from the left found their striker arriving unmarked in to the right side of the box but he shot wide of the near post. Rangers replied immediately with a good passing move ending with a James Maxwell layoff that allowed Ciaran Dickson to break unto the penalty area but the keeper advanced from his line to block with his foot.

Just after the quarter-hour mark the Thistle keeper parried Ciaran Dickson’s shot from the edge of the box and reacted to block James Maxwell’s effort from the rebound at close range. Thistle came close seven minutes before the break, a corner was delivered from the right and the ball was headed goalwards with Nathan Patterson heading off the line at the left hand post.

Five minutes later Joao Balde latched onto a loose ball to break through the centre and into the penalty area but shot wide of the keeper’s right hand post.

Half-Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 0

The second half was a couple of minutes old when Nicky Hogarth had to be alert, Kyle McLelland sliced his attempted clearance from a left-wing cross which the Rangers keeper dived to his right to make the save. An immediate Rangers reply came from a James Maxwell corner from the right and a Ciaran Dickson header just wide of the far post.

Thistle were next to threaten with a shot from the left hand angle of the box that Nicky Hogarth parried then gathered at the second attempt. Midway through the half Kieran McKechnie linked with Nathan Patterson on the left hand angle of the box before shooting just wide of the far post.

With four minutes remaining Kyle McLelland in possession on the left passed inside to Leon King on the angle of the box, he curled a shot beyond the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Right on the final whistle and following a Rangers corner Ben Williamson was taken out in an aerial challenge inside the box for a clear penalty. Nathan Patterson stepped up but the keeper dived to his right to produce a fine save. For some reason the referee ordered a re-take and this time the Rangers full back made no mistake.

Full-Time:- Partick Thistle 0 Rangers 2

Rangers:- Nicky Hogarth (Gk); Harris O’Connor (Jay Mack 78 mins), Kyle McLelland, Leon King, Nathan Patterson; Murray Miller (Cole McKinnon 73 mins); Joao Balde (Ben Williamson 61 mins), Ciaran Dickson; James Maxwell, Matty Yates (Chris McKee 66 mins), Kieran McKechnie.

Not Used:- Brian Kinnear (Gk), Ryan Muir.