Accies Double Header

Today gave me the opportunity for a double header at Hamilton’s New Douglas Park. The U14’s edged a win thanks to a stunning Josh Carson hat-trick, while the U16’s were on the end of a heavy defeat, having been up against it following keeper Alfie Halliwell’s early red card.

Hamilton Accies 2 Rangers 3

First up this morning was the Under 14’s game and the home side had an early chance breaking through the centre of Rangers defence with Jayden Millarvie saving low to his left. There were seven minutes on the clock when Accies broke into the right side of the penalty area and Jayden Millarvie pushed the shot over.

Six minutes before the end of the period Accies took the lead, from a free-kick on the left hand angle of the box the shot went over the keeper and off the under side of the bar and into the net. Rangers only real chance of the first period came close to the end, Ally Shaw on the right passed inside to Callum Young who played in Luke Moore inside the right side of the box but he shot wide of the far post.

Rangers had a chance at the start of the second period, Louis Shaw crossing from the left and with Callum Young stretching he could only knock the ball wide of the far post. The home side then had a chance breaking into the left side of the penalty area with Sam Reid making the save.

With the midpoint of the period approaching Rangers drew level, Josh Carson stepped up to hit a free-kick on the edge of the box and left of centre which sneaked past the keeper at his near post. Accies had a chance just before the end of the period, breaking through the inside left channel the ball was passed inside to the centre forward who shot just wide of the keeper’s left hand post.

Accies had the first chance of the final period after some good play on the right but the shot was wide of the far post. Within a  minute Pedro Chico passed to Josh Carson and his effort from distance was touched wide of  his left hand post by the keeper. 

The homes side then took the lead when a free-kick from the left was headed past Aaron McAlonan at the back post. With eleven minutes remaining Rangers were awarded a free-kick fully thirty yards from goal, up stepped Josh Carson to give the keeper no chance with an unstoppable shot into his top left hand corner.

Josh Carson then replicated that strike from open play, picking up a loose ball twenty-five yards out and again finding the keeper’s top left had corner with a superb strike. The home side came close to levelling right at the death, breaking into the left side of the box they were denied when Arron McAlonan came from goal to make the block. From the resultant corner from the left the ball was headed against Rangers crossbar before being cleared.

Full Time:- Hamilton Accies 2 Rangers 3

Rangers Squad:- Jayden Millarvie (Gk), Sam Reid (Gk), Arron McAlonan (Gk), Ashton Patton, Josh Carson, Stevie Nixon, Lewis Smith, Aiden Crilly, Ben Hutton, Luke Moore, Ally Shaw, Callum Young, Euen Gray, Pedro Chico, Callum Stewart, Oliver Preston, Louis Shaw.

 

Hamilton Accies 6 Rangers 2

Rangers had the first sight of goal on ten minutes, Connor Campbell breaking forward and receiving the return ball from a neat Josh Gentles flick to continue into the left side of the box before shooting wide of the far post. Rangers were forced into a change just before the quarter hour mark when the injured Jack Wylie was replaced by Kenzie McLelland.

Five minutes later Alfie Halliwell came racing from his box to clatter the Accies forward and was shown a straight red card. Josh Gentles was sacrificed for sub keeper Greig Thackray. Accies then missed a great chance created on the left side of the box but when the ball was squared it was fired over.

Greig Thackray was then called into to action twice around the midpoint of the half. First blocking a shot with his legs when Accies broke into the right side of the box. Then stretching to tip over a curling shot from the left hand angle of the box.

Accies took the lead just beyond the half hour, the impressive Cormac Daly hitting the right hand byline and squaring the ball for a simple tap in. When the ball was hooked a cross goal from the right hand byline a second Accies goal looked certain but the header clipped the bar on the way over.

Rangers had a rare venture forward when Lancelot Pollard went past a defender to break down the left before passing inside to Lewis Stewart and his shot forced the keeper to dive to his left to make the save. Accies the doubled their lead with an attack into the left side of the box, taking on a defender and shooting past the keeper.

Half-Time:- Hamilton Accies 2 Rangers 0

The game had a bit of a lull at the start of the second half and it had passed the hour mark when the home side broke quickly into the right side of the box with the shot being straight at Greig Thackray. Midway through the half Rangers got back into the game, Lyle Wark chased the ball to the right hand byline and inside the penalty area where he went past a defender and beat the keeper from a narrow angle.

Within five minutes the home side restored their two goal lead, a fine reverse pass releasing the midfielder inside the centre of the box to shoot past Greig Thackray. Rangers responded immediately with Connor Campbell’s pass freeing Lancelot Pollard inside the left side of the penalty area to poke the ball past the keeper.

Some neat passing on the right side of the box then opened up the Rangers defence and the the striker squared the ball from the right hand byline it was knocked into the net. Another attack on the right and ball across the box provided a fifth goal for Accies.

The scoring was completed when a through ball allowed the home side to break on the right into the penalty area and finish with a shot past the keeper.

Full-Time:- Hamilton Accies 6 Rangers 2

 

Rangers:- Alfie Halliwell; Arran Kerr (Duncan Barlow HT), Jack Wylie (Kenzie McLelland 14 Mins), Leo Fisher, Connor Campbell; Grant Leitch; Grant Marchant, Harry Weir (Lyle Wark HT); Lancelot Pollard, Josh Gentles (Greig Thackray 19 mins), Lewis Stewart (Cammy Scott 79 Mins)