Red Card Woe For 18’s

Hamilton Accies 2 Rangers 1

Rangers Under 18’s lost to Hamilton Accies for the third time in the league this season at New Douglas Park this afternoon. They led for a significant part of the game but ultimately the red cards for Paul Nsio and Connor Campbell took their toll.

The home side edged the early part of the game territorially but with threatening Jacob Pazikas’s goal and it was Rangers who came close to taking the lead on eighteen minutes. Archie Stevens broke forward and passed to Jack Roberts who moved the ball on to Finlay Curtis and his shot took a deflection before bouncing off Josh Lane’s right hand post. Om twenty-seven minutes Rangers were reduced to ten men, Paul Nsio was high with a challenge on Tony Carroll, the referee initially showed the Rangers midfielder a yellow card, but the linesman then flagged and after consultation it was changed to a red. My opinion was it was a borderline challenge.

Rangers shook off that blow and threatened again, Zak McKay advanced to the right hand byline before laying the ball back to Archie Stevens and his shot forced Josh Lane to turn the ball wide of his left hand post. The home side’s response saw Tony Carroll advance down the left and his cross forced Jacob Pazikas to tip over. When the corner came it from the left the ball was cleared from the box but only as far as Jared Lyons whose shot was straight at the Rangers keeper.

A minute later Paddy Meechan fired a free-kick from the edge of the box narrowly over. Seven minutes before the break Rangers took the lead, Connor Campbell sent Jack Roberts down the left and when he cut inside his shot was deflected just wide of the far post.When the corner was sent beyond the back post Kristian Webster sent a looping header back across goal and into the net.

Rangers came close to doubling their lead in first half injury time from an Archie Stevens solo effort, he burst between to Accies players midway inside his own half, went past the last defender on the halfway line to race clear  and continue into the penalty area but was denied by Josh Lane who diverted the shot wide of his left hand post.

Half-Time:- Hamilton Accies 0 Rangers 1

Rangers had the first chance after the break when Archie Stevens twisted and turned inside the right side of Accies box and when he shot across goal the ball was deflected just wide of the far post. Midway through the half a great turn and shot from Cammy Cooper beat  Josh Lane the ball rebounded off the keeper’s right hand post.

With twenty minutes remaining Jacob Pazikas attempted pass went straight to Josh McDonald inside the left side of Rangers box, the defence did well to prevent a shot as the ball was moved across the box through Ryan One and Lewis Latona, when it arrived at Liam Morgan he got a shot away that Jacob Pazikas turned wide of his left hand post. Rangers were reduced to nine men on seventy-three minutes, Connor Campbell pulling back Ryan One on the edge of the box as he raced through for a clear red card.

Within five minutes Rangers were behind,  a ball through the centre sent Ryan One clear with Rangers claiming offside he continued into the box to shoot past Jacob Pazikas. A couple of minutes later Accies took the lead from a carbon copy goal, another ball through the centre and Ryan One was through to score his second.

Josh McDonald could have added a third when he broke into the left side of the box but was denied as Jacob Pazikas blocked with his legs. Rangers finished the game on the attack, Kieran Willox sent an up and under into the box from the right, it was dropping towards the goal and with Josh Lane under pressure from Cammy Cooper the ball struck the bar, Cammy Cooper couldn’t quite force the loose ball past the keeper. Rangers had one final attack when Christian Mulindwa pulled out a great cross from the left but there was no attacker close enough to take advantage.

Full-Time:- Hamilton Accies 2 Rangers 1

Hamilton Accies:- Josh Lane; Sam Spence (Kyle Haggerty HT), Arron Preston, Cian Newbury, Tony Carroll (Olly Cameron 88 Mins); Lewis Latona; Paddy Meechan, Jared Lyons (Gravine Gwamba-lo 69 Mins); Liam Morgan, Ben Black (Ryan One HT), Josh McDonald.

Rangers:- Jacob Pazikas; Zak McKay, Kristian Webster, Leyton Grant, Connor Campbell; Kerr Robertson (Cammy Bell HT); Paul Nsio; Finlay Curtis (Christian Mulindwa 82 Mins); Archie Stevens (Jack Wylie 77 Mins), Jack Roberts (Cammy Cooper 64 Mins), Tyler Pasnik (Kieran Willox 82 Mins)

Not Used:- Alfie Halliwell, Souleyman Mandey.