Following on from Friday night’s Under 18 win over Celtic the clubs would meet at various age groups over the weekend. So it was an opportunity to watch the 14’s, 15’s and 16’s games. Not a good weekend results wise, losing one game to the odd goal in nine and suffering two heavy defeats.
I’ve watched academy football since the day it started and I’m well aware that results are not important in the big scheme of things, but it surely must be one of the aspects to measure progress and where you are in the process of developing young players.
Rangers 1 Celtic 6
First game of the weekend was the Under 15’s at The Rangers Training Centre on Saturday mornoing. Rangers were obviously always second best in the game but suffered a late collapse after the third goal just when it looked like they had battled back into the game.
Celtic had a chance in the opening minute with an attack into the left side of the penalty area and Ben Coutts dived to his right to make the save. Two minutes later Celtic took the lead, the ball was moved along the edge of the box from left to right where the shot was fired past the keeper.
Another chance soon followed and a cross from the left hand byline and volley saw another save to his right from Ben Coutts. Rangers first foray forward gave a glimmer of a chance for Brandon Ramage with the keeper saving bravely at the striker’s feet.
Just before the half hour mark Thomas Forrester broke forward and passed to Brandon Ramage who’s shot from the left side of the box forced a save from the keeper. Ten minutes before the break some good play on the right from Aidan McCallion saw him exchange passes with Brandon Ramage but his shot from the right side of the penalty area was wide of the far post.
Right on half time Celtic scored a second, a free-kick wide on the left and an unchallenged header did the damage.
Half-Time:- Rangers 0 Celtic 2
Rangers had the first chance after the break through Brandon Ramage with the keeper coming from his goal to make the save. Celtic then missed a great chance on the hour, Rangers lost the ball on the right side of their own box and when the ball was centred it was fired over a gaping goal.
Within a minute Rangers were back in the game, the Celtic keeper lost possession outside his penalty area, Murray Shaw knocked the ball goalwards from around twenty-five yards and the keeper couldn’t get back to prevent it crossing the line. Within two minutes Celtic had restored their two goal advantage, Rangers losing the ball on the edge of the box from where it was fired past the keeper.
Celtic then had another chance but on this occasion Colbi McQuarrie blocked the shot with his foot. With twenty minutes remaining Celtic increased their lead, the attack was into the right side of the box from where it was fired into the net. Five minutes later Rangers lost a fifth, coming from a corner from the right and a header.
The sixth goal soon followed, Rangers cleared to the edge of the box but from there the shot beat the keeper. Rangers had the final effort of the game, Evan Molloy breaking forward from defence through two challenges before shooting just over.
Full-Time:- Rangers 1 Celtic 6
Rangers:- Ben Coutts (Gk), Colbi McQuarrie (Gk), Jack Caldwell, Evan Molloy, Olly Hynd, Thomas Falconer, Lewis Marshall, Aidan McCallion, Alex Smith, Ronald Nimyel, Brandon Ramage, Flynn O’Brien, Zak Richford, Sam McLachlan, Matthew McIvor, Murray Shaw, Jose Calela.
Celtic 5 Rangers 4
Next up was the Under 16 game at Barrowfield on Sunday morning. It seemed in the early stages every attack would produce a goal with Rangers 4-2 down after sixteen minutes and the game level at 4-4 after thirty two. From a Rangers point of view they worked hard to create some good goals but would be disappointed at some they lost.
Rangers took the lead on six minutes, a superb run from Lancelot Pollard took him past two defenders on the left, he passed to Finlay Curtis on the right side of the box and he shot across Jamie Meikle and into the net. Three minutes later the Rangers defence was caught out by a long ball allowing Eseosa Sule to race clear and shoot past Greig Thackray.
A further two minutes had passed when a poor pass put Rangers under pressure on the right side of the box where Niall Rogerson tripped the attacker and Eseosa Sule scored from the spot. It took Rangers barely sixty seconds to draw level, Harry Weir providing the through ball for Josh Gentles to shoot past the keeper.
A minute later Niall Rogerson was a bit short with his pass back and the attacker got there before Greig Thackray who brought him down for a second penalty which Eseosa Sule again converted. Back to the other end and Finlay Curtis sent Lyle Wark down the right then received the ball back from his cutback but shot straight at the keeper.
We had only played sixteen minutes when Celtic doubled their lead, Eseosa Sule doing the work on the left hand byline with his ball across goal converted by Aidan Borland. Five minutes later Harry Weir passed to Josh Gentles inside the right side of the box and his well struck shot went through the legs of Jamie Meikle.
The end to end stuff continued with Celtic moving the ball across the eighteen yard box from from right to left finishing with a shot off Greig Thackray’s right hand post. Harry Weir then worked his way along the right hand byline with Jamie Miekle saving his shot from a narrow angle.
Chances at both ends kept coming and when Finlay Curtis crossed from the right hand angle of the box Lancelot Pollard’s header at the back post was deflected wide. Two minutes beyond the half hour a superb Lancelot Pollard pass was the source of Rangers equaliser, Josh Gentles again providing the finish.
Eseosa Sule raced clear three minutes before the break, Greig Thackray forced him wide which enabled him to save the shot from a tight angle. The final action of the half saw a Finlay Curtis twenty-five yarder tipped over by Jamie Meikle.
Half-Time:- Celtic 4 Rangers 4
Ten minutes into the second half Greig Thackray saved at his near post after Celtic broke into the left side of the box. When the ball from the corner broke kindly for the home side Greig Thackray produced a better save from a powerful shot through a crowded penalty area,
Rangers response saw Lewis Stewart cut in from the right before shooting just over. With twenty-five minutes remaining Rangers cleared a corner from their penalty area but Greig Thackray was forced to save low to his right when the shot came in.
Celtic took the lead with a quarter hour remaining, a pass through the inside right channel sent Eseosa Sule clear to continue into the box and shoot past the keeper. A similar chance soon followed but on this occasion Greig Thackray came from his line to spread himself and make the block.
With ten minutes remaining Celtic were reduced to ten men when Aidan Borland received a second yellow and subsequent red card for a rash challenge on Lancelot Pollard. The final effort of the match saw Jack Wylie try his luck from distance but the shot was straight at the keeper.
Full-Time:- Celtic 5 Rangers 4
Celtic:- Jamie Meikle, Cole Crawford, Andrew Kyle, Ronan Ferns, Samuel Isiguzo, Kalvin Bennett, Tom Pickford, Aidan Borland, Eseosa Sule, Robert Rachwal, Rhys Dargie.
Subs:- Marcus Gill, Cruz Dunbar, Finlay Hale, Sean McArdle, Ryan Gaughan, Ryan Hamilton
Rangers:- Greig Thackray, Arran Kerr (Duncan Barlow HT), Jack Wylie, Niall Rogerson (Kenzie McLelland 56 Mins), Connor Campbell; Grant Leitch (Leo Fisher HT); Lyle Wark (Grant Marchant HT), Harry Weir (Lewis Stewart HT); Finlay Curtis, Josh Gentles, Lancelot Pollard.
Not Used:- Ben Coutts (Gk)
Celtic 6 Rangers 2
The final game of the weekend was the Under 14’s, watched through a mesh fence on the all weather pitch. With a horror first two periods I wouldn’t have been too disappointed with a more restricted view. If there was a positive they did win the final period but the game was long gone by then.
Celtic took the lead in the opening minute through an own goal, the ball was played across goal from the right hand byline and it was diverted past the keeper by a Rangers defender. Rangers were forced into a change on four minutes where Stevie Nixon appeared to turn his ankle and was replaced by Connor Owen.
Celtic doubled their lead on eight minutes, their attacker going through two challenges into the left side of the penalty area before shooting past Sam Reid. Rangers eventually got into their opponents half, Ben Hutton winning possession on the left side of the box and passing to Callum Young who’s weak shot was comfortably saved.
When Celtic attacked around the quarter hour mark they got the break of the ball and Sam Reid was forced to make the save. Four minutes before the end of the period the Celtic player was pulled back inside the right side of the box and the penalty was converted.
A break of the ball inside the the box allowed them to score a fourth before the period ended. It was Celtic on the attack early in the second period and Arron McAlonan parried a cross from the right then reacted well to save the shot from the loose ball.
Rangers then gave possession away inside the left side of their own box with the shot bouncing off the far post. A Callum Stewart through ball set up a race between the keeper and Rory McKay with the keeper making a brave save.
Rangers then had their best effort of the game so far with Euan Gray’s shot from the edge of the box and left of centre forcing the keeper to dive to his left and make the save. Celtic’s response was to add a further two goals, an attack to the right hand byline and cut back providing the first. Then a cross from the left hand angle was knocked past the keeper. The period ended with a cross from the right to the back post being knocked back across goal and Arron McAlonan producing a fine save from close range.
Seven minutes into the final period Rangers got on the scoresheet, Josh Carson’s free-kick from the edge of the box beating the keeper. Josh Carson now had a sight for goal and his next free kick from around twenty-five yards forced the keeper to tip over.
Then another shot from the right hand angle of the box was only just too high. Rangers ended the game with a second goal, good play and cross from Euen Gray on the left found Callum Young at the back post where he knocked the ball into the net.
Full-Time:- Celtic 6 Rangers 2
Rangers Squad:- Sam Reid (Gk), Arron McAlonan (Gk), Jayden Millarvie (Gk), Ashton Patton, Josh Carson, Stevie Nixon, Lewis Smith, Oliver Preston, Ben Hutton, Lewis Moore, Euen Gray, Callum Young, Ally Shaw, Connor Owen, Pedro Chico, Rory McKay, Callum Stewart.
Footnote:- Rangers U13’s beat Celtic 12- 4 in what is a 9-a-side game on Saturday, but I wasn’t at the game.
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