U18’s Through To Youth Cup Final

Hibernian 2 Rangers 4

A dominant second half display at Hibs Training Centre saw Rangers U18’s come from behind to progress to a Youth Cup Final clash with Hearts. The home side would have approached the tie with confidence, having won both league encounters at the same venue.

Rangers got off to a poor start and in the first minute the home side were claiming a penalty for a hand ball against Connor Allan but the referee waved play on. Sixty seconds later Josh O’Connor broke into the right side of the penalty area and when he played the ball across the box Connor Young looked sure to score but a brilliant Jack McConnell save diverted the ball for a corner.

Hibernian took the lead from the penalty spot in the third minute, the referee adjudged the ball was handled inside the box when a cross came in from the right, Josh O’Connor converting the penalty despite a valiant effort from Jack McConnell. Rangers first chance came on eleven minutes when Jack Harkness hit the right hand byline but both Rory Wilson and Robbie Ure just couldn’t connect with his ball across the face of goal.

The sides were level on nineteen minutes a cross into the HIbs box from the left was cleared only as far as Charlie Lindsay and from just inside the left side of the penalty area he shot across Murray Johnson and into the bottom corner. Josh O’Connor then had a chance as he broke into the right side of Rangers penalty area but his shot was deflected into the side netting. Just before the half-hour mark Jacob Blaney’s free kick from wide left glanced off the head of a Rangers defender and went just wide of the far post. From the corner the ball broke to Jacob Blaney inside the box but a superb Robbie Ure block diverted the ball wide.

Hibernian took the lead eleven minutes before the break, Tyler Pasnik lost possession in midfield, Josh O’Connor stepped forward and his shot from around thirty yards found the net via Jack McConnell’s right hand post. Rangers responded and five minutes before the break Jack Harkness on the right passed to Rory Wilson who cut inside onto his left foot and shot narrowly wide of the far post.

Half-Time:- Hibernian 2 Rangers 1

Rangers came close early in the second half with Greig Allen heading narrowly wide of the far post from Leyton Dunlop’s corner from the right. A Robbie Ure chipped pass found Rory Wilson inside the left side of the Hibs penalty area but his shot was deflected wide of the near post.

Rangers were now dominating possession with Hibs content to hit on the break, Rangers were hoping for that clear chance and it came with sixteen minutes remaining. Mackenzie Strachan’s corner from the right was headed goalwards and James Graham was well placed to divert the ball past Murray Johnson from close range.

The momentum was now with Rangers and in the next attack Leyton Dunlop almost got on the end of Robbie Ure’s cross from the left as Murray Johnson scrambled the ball wide of his far post. Rangers took the lead for the first time in the match with nine minutes remaining, Kevin Ciubotaru passed to James Graham and from his cross from the left Robbie Ure headed past Murray Johnson.

Two minutes later Rangers extended their lead, Robbie Ure stooping to get his head on Mackenzie Strachan’s right hand corner and the ball looped into the net at the back post. Rangers saw out the game comfortably with a couple of corners from the home side being the best they could muster.

Full-Time:- Hibernian 2 Rangers 4

Hibernian:- Murray Johnson; Kanayo Megwa, MacKenzie Weir, Jacob Blaney; Josh McCulloch (Malik Zaid 80 mins), Murray Aiken, Robbie Hamilton, Oscar MacIntyre; Ethan Laidlaw (Rudi Molotnikov 80 mins); Josh O’Connor, Connor Young.

Subs:- Josh Blair (Gk), Freddie Wylie, Owen Hastie, Brodie Watt, Jacob MacIntyre.

Rangers:- Jack McConnell; Jack Harkness, Greig Allen, Connor Allan, Kelsy Ewan (Kevin Ciubotaru 59 mins); Leyton Dunlop; Darren McInally (Mackenzie Strachan HT), Charlie Lindsay; Tyler Pasnik, Rory Wilson (James Graham 59 mins), Robbie Ure.

Not Used:- Jacob Pazikas (Gk), Kristian Webster, Zak McKay, Ryan Duncan.