Challenge Cup Progress

Berwick Rangers 1 Rangers 2

Its a belated report having been in Denmark for a few days, but before I left I took in Rangers Under 20’s Challenge Cup clash with Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park on Tuesday night. The margin of victory was one goal but in reality Rangers never looked like losing the tie.

The first chance came on seven minutes when Eros Grezda got to the right hand byline and cut the ball back to Dapo Mebude who volleyed just over. Two minutes later Kai Kennedy cut in from the left before passing to Jamie Barjonas who saw his effort from the edge of the box deflected just over.

The game had reached the quarter hour when Dapo Mebude attacked the right side of the penalty area and when the ball broke to Eros Grezda his shot forced Sean Brennan to dive to his right to parry. Berwick had their first chance around the twenty minute mark, Cammy Lumsden delivered a corner from the left, Grant Rose got on the end of it but his powerful header was deflected wide by a Berwick player.

Rangers immediately broke to the other end and took the lead from the penalty spot, James Maxwell played the ball forward to Dapo Mebude and he was brought down inside the left side of the box and the Rangers striker dusted himself down to convert from the spot. Rangers doubled their lead five minutes later, Kai Kennedy’s chipped pass sent Josh McPake through the inside left channel to continue into the box and shoot past the keeper.

With ten minutes of the half remaining Sean Brennan got down to his left to touch a Jamie Barjonas shot from the edge of the box on to the post. A fine Rangers move produced another chance before the break, Jordan Houston moved the ball forward to Eros Grezda who passed to Dapo Mebude, he left a defender in his wake as he broke on the right and turned another defender inside the box but was denied when Sean Brennan came from his line to make the block.

Half-Time:- Berwick Rangers 0 Rangers 2

With the hour mark approaching James Maxwell cut the ball back to Kai Kennedy from the left hand byline, he laid the ball back to Dapo Mebude and he was only denied when Sean Brennan dived high to his left to tip over. With the half now at the midpoint Berwick’s Yaw Osei was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge on Jamie Barjonas.

But it was the home side who were next to find the net with twenty minutes remaining, Lewis Barr broke on the right and when his cross came in Kieran Wright could only touch the ball onto the bar when he should have perhaps done better and Dan Purves dived to head the rebound into the net. Rangers had the final chance when Eros Grezda cut in from the right before feeding Dapo Mebude who saw his shot deflected wide of the far post.

Full-Time:- Berwick Rangers 1 Rangers 2

Berwick Rangers:- Sean Brennan; Cammy Lumsden, Ricky Miler, Jack Cook, Kevin Waugh; Ciaran Chalmers; Dan Purves (Kieran Jack 72 mins), Ali Forster (Ali Smith 89 mins), Lewis Barr; Grant Rose (Gary Windram 70 mins), Yaw Osei.

Not Used;- Ryan Kidd (Gk), Ciaran Brian, Darly Healy.

Rangers:- Kieran Wright; Jordan Houston, Lewis Mayo (Danny Finlayson HT), Rhys Breen (Cole McKinnon 89 mins), James Maxwell; Jack Thomson (Nathan Patterson 77 mins), Jamie Barjonas; Josh McPake; Eros Grezda, Dapo Mebude, Kai Kennedy.

Not Used:- Aidan McAdams (Gk), Joao Balde, Murray Miller, Alex Lowry.