Colts Lose To Newcastle

Rangers 2 Newcastle United 3

Rangers Colts lost to the odd goal in five to Newcastle at Ibrox yesterday. There was a distinct contrast in the quality of goals scored, Rangers two stunning strikes giving the keeper no chance but they would have been disappointed with the three goals they lost.

With a few B Team regulars missing, presumably part of this weekend’s first team squad, Jake Hastie and Josh McPake were in the starting lineup after their loan clubs season’s had ended and they were joined by a few under 18 players.

The visitors had a chance in the opening minute when Kyle Crossley burst into the right side of Rangers penalty box before shooting across goal and wide of the far post. Rangers responded immediately with Tony Weston’s shot from the edge of the box being deflected just wide of the keeper’s right hand post.

On the quarter hour Jake Hastie’s cross from the left had Max Thompson stretching to get a touch on it, the ball fell for Arron Lyall on the right side of the box and he picked out Tony Weston with his cross and Max Thompson was forced to tip the striker’s header over. The corner was played short to Josh McPake on the left hand angle of the box and his shot gave Max Thompson no chance as it found the far top corner of the net.

The sides were level by the half-hour mark, Dylan Stephenson dispossessed Kyle McClelland inside the left side of Rangers box and beat Jay Hogarth with a fine strike. Rangers got their noses back in front eight minutes before the break, Jake Hastie’s corner from the right was headed clear but only as far as Charlie Lindsay who met it full on the volley and again Max Thompson dived in vain.

Half-Time:- Rangers 2 Newcastle United 1

Rangers had the first chance of the second half on fifty-seven minutes when Josh McPake fed Arron Lyall on the right, he cut inside and forced a save from Will Brown. Within a minute the sides were level again, a mix up between defence and goalkeeper on the edge of the box left Matty Bondswell with the simple task of rolling the ball into the empty net.

A further quarter hour had elapsed when Lucas De Bolle fed Dylan Stephenson inside the left side of Rangers box and his shot forced Jay Hogarth to dive low to his left to turn the shot wide. Midway through the half Newcastle grabbed what proved to be the winner, more slack defending allowed Jamie Miley time and space inside the left side of Rangers box to play the ball across the penalty area for the arriving Dylan Crossley to shoot across Jay Hogarth and into the net.

Neither keeper was seriously troubled for the remainder of the game and the visitors comfortably held on to emerge as winners.

Full-Time:- Rangers 2 Newcastle United 3

Rangers:- Jay Hogarth; Connor Allan, Kyle McClelland, Johnly Yfeko (Kelsey Ewan HT), Jake Hastie; Darren McInally, Charlie Lindsay (Leyton Dunlop HT); Josh McPake; Arron Lyall, Robbie Ure, Tony Weston (James Graham HT).

Not Used:- Lewis Budinauckas (Gk), Mackenzie Strachan.

Newcastle United:- Max Thompson (Will Brown HT); Joe Oliver (Josh Stewart 67 mins), Charlie Wiggett, Nathan Carlyon, Jordan Hackett; Jamie Miley, Lucas De Bolle (James Huntley 67 mins); Santi Munoz (Ellis Stanton HT);Kyle Crossley, Dylan Stephenson, Josh Scott (Matty Bondswell HT).