U15’s Top Mini Tournament

Rangers Under 15’s took part in a mini tournament at Forthbank Astro today, involving Stirling Albion, Morton and St.Johnstone. The games were played over thirty minutes and with Rangers winning their three games they finished top. Originally I thought the top two would then play off in a final but that wasn’t the case.

Stirling Albion 0 Rangers 1

In the first game Rangers dominated from start to finish but it took a late goal to secure the win. Rangers came close as early as the second minute when Lewis Marshall’s shot from the edge of the box rebounded back off the keeper’s right hand post. Four minutes later Brandon Ramage burst into the right side of the box with the keeper saving bravely at the striker’s feet.

On the quarter hour mark a double save from the Stirling keeper kept the game goalless. He saved Flynn O’Brien’s initial shot from the edge of the box and when the ball broke to Murray Shaw inside the left side of the penalty area he dived to his left to parry. Rangers next chance came when Flynn O’Brien swung in a free-kick from the left but Olly Hynd headed just over.

The keeper was called into action again when Lewis Marshall played the ball to Flynn O’Brien on the left, he cut inside before testing the keeper from the edge of the box. With a couple of minutes remaining another shot from the edge of the box, this time from Lewis Marshall saw the keeper dive to his right to turn the ball wide. The corner from the left was taken short and when the ball was played into the near post Brandon Ramage got there ahead of the keeper to prod the ball into the net.

There was one more shot and one more save from the home keeper diving to right to save from Lewis Marshall.

Rangers:- Colbi McQuarrie; Olly Hynd, Evan Molloy, Lyle Hunter, Oliver Goodbrand; Lewis Marshall, Aidan McCallion, Alex Smith; Murray Shaw, Brandon Ramage, Flynn O’Brien.

 

Rangers 3 St.Johnstone 2

St.Johnstone had an early shout for a penalty when the striker went down as Ben Coutts dived at his feet but the referee pointed for a corner. They them missed a good chance when the got to the right hand byline and when the ball was cutback the shot was just wide of the near post.

A minute later the referee judged Olly Hynd had bundled over an attacker on the right hand byline and pointed to the spot. Ben Coutts blocked the shot with his legs but was helpless as the attacker netted the rebound. Rangers were only behind for three minutes, Alex Smith’s shot from distance crashed off the underside of the crossbar but Jose Calela was on hand to knock the rebound into the net.

Rangers took the lead on the quarter hour mark from a Ronald Mynell solo effort, breaking down the left continuing into the box to shoot across the keeper and into the net. Two minutes later Rangers increased their lead, when a ball was played through the inside right channel Jose Calela outmuscled a defender to race clear and shoot past the keeper.

Rangers next chance came from a Lewis Marshall shot from the edge of the box that the keeper saved low to his left. A cross from the St.Johnstone left created a chance at the back post the but the ball was volleyed wide.

St. Johnstone were now applying a bit of pressure and when a cross from the right into the box broke for them Oliver Goodbrand was forced to clear from the line. A series of corners followed and the final one from the left was flicked on at the near post and volleyed into the net. Deep into injury time the ball was played over the Rangers defence with Ben Coutts coming from his line to win a fifty-fifty with the striker to secure the win.

Rangers:- Ben Coutts; Oliver Goodbrand, Evan Molloy, Olly Hynd, Thomas Falconer; Sam McLachlan; Aiden McCallion, Alex Smith (Lewis Marshall 12 Mins); Zak Richford, Jose Calela, Ronald Mynell.

 

Rangers 2 Morton 0

Rangers took the lead on five minutes, a pass through the inside right channel sent Brandon Ramage racing clear to continue into the box and shoot past the keeper. The lead was doubled just before the midpoint of the game, a short corner was worked on the left and when the ball was played across the six yard box it was knocked into the net at the back post by Lyle Hunter.

The game then went into a bit of a lull as Rangers made five substitutions, the only real chance coming at the other end with four minutes remaining. Morton broke into the left side of the penalty area and when the shot came in Ben Coutts saved at his near post.

Rangers:- Colbi McQuarrie (Ben Coutts 16 Mins); Olly Hynd, Evan Molloy (Oliver Goodbrand 16 Mins), Lyle Hunter, Thomas Falconer; Lewis Marshall; Aiden McCallion, Sam McLachlan; Murray Shaw (Zak Richford 16 Mins), Brandon Ramage (Jose Calela 16 Mins), Flynn O’Brien (Ronald Mynell 16 Mins).