18’s Share Six Goals With Accies

Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 3

Rangers and Hamilton Accies shared six goals in this morning’s Under 18 League game at The Hummel Training Centre. Rangers edged the first half but Hamilton raced into a two goal lead early in the second half, and missed a couple of chances to extend their lead, but Rangers came back strongly and over the ninety minutes a draw was probably fair.

For a variety of reasons only three of Rangers starting eleven from the Youth Cup Final were starters in today’s game. This gave the opportunity to a few U16 players who will be U18 mainstays next season. Rangers took the lead from the penalty spot in the fifth minute, Chris McKee passed to James Maxwell inside the left side of the penalty area where he was brought down by Liam Scullion for a clear penalty which Ciaran Dickson converted.

The lead barely lasted two minutes and Hamilton drew level when Reegan Mimnaugh curled a free-kick from the edge of the box over the defensive wall and into to Brian Kinnear’s top left hand corner. Ten minutes later Harris O’Connor won possession inside the right side of the penalty area and his shot from a narrow angle was blocked by the foot of Ross Connelly.

Within a minute Andrew Winter cut in from the right and went past two Rangers defenders and deep into the penalty area, Brian Kinnear got down to his right to parry, it seemed certain Sean Slaven would net the loose ball but a superb Zac Butterworth clearance conceded a corner. On the twenty sixth minute Harris O’Connor got a flick on and the ball went to Chris McKee deep inside the box, he laid it back to Nathan Young Coombes whose effort was saved by Ross Connelly.

Just after the half hour mark only a brilliant Ross Connelly save kept the sides level. Leon King played the ball forward and Chris Mckee’s flick sent Nathan Young-Coombes racing clear, Ross Connelly came from his line and got a strong hand to the striker’s shot. The ball eventually landed back at the feet of Nathan Young-Coombes but the keeper saved again. Rangers were forced into a change just before the break when the injured Leon King was replaced by Cole McKinnon.

Half-Time:- Rangers 1 Hamilton Accies 1

The visitor’s took the lead in the opening minute of the second half, Ciaran McAndrew played the ball into the box from the right, Sean Slaven got  there just ahead of Brian Kinnear and knocked the ball goalwards for Niyah Joseph to slam the ball into the net from close range. A few minutes later Accies doubled their lead, Rangers struggled to clear a ball in from the right and when it fell for Sean Slaven he shot past Brian Kinnear from around ten yards.

Rangers reply saw Aaron Lyall cut in from the left past a defender but he shot straight at Ross Connelly. Rangers next chance came on fifty-six minutes when Ben Williamson’s free kick from around twenty five yards and left of centre was only just wide of the far post. Within a minute the ball broke for Joao Balde deep inside the Hamilton penalty area but he was denied by another Ross Connelly save.

Hamilton then came close from two left hand corners both taken Charlie Reilly and both found the head of Ciaran McAndrew at the back post. The first forced Brian Kinnear into a diving save to his right and the second saw the header slip just wide of the back post. Rangers capitalised on those let offs by reducing the deficit midway through the half, Alex Lowry’s corner from the left landed at the feet of Cole McKinnon beyond the back post and he shot through a crowded six yard box into the net.

With five minutes remaining the tenacity of Ben Williamson saw Rangers draw level, working his way along the right hand byline through two challenges, when the third challenge came in the ball looped over the head of Ross Connelly and had crossed the line before it was hooked clear.

Full-Time:- Rangers 3 Hamilton Accies 3

Rangers:- Brian Kinnear; Zac Butterworth (Adam Devine 75 mins), Harris O’Connor, Leon King (Cole McKinnon 44 mins), James Maxwell; Ben Williamson; Joao Balde (Alex Lowry 63 mins), Ciaran Dickson; Aaron Lyall, Chris McKee (Matty Yates 63 mins), Nathan Young-Coombes (Ryan Muir 75 mins).

Hamilton Accies:- Ross Connelly; Liam Scullion, Ciaran McAndrew, Jamie Hamilton, Kyle Munro; Reegan Mimnaugh; Charlie Reilly, Marley Redfern; Andrew Winter, Sean Slaven (Lennon Pirrie 74 mins) , Niyah Joseph (Jay Blair 77 mins).

Not Used:- Adam McLean (Gk), Cameron Marshall, Jack Garrad.