Liam Ross Praises Quality of the Squad

UNDER-19s assistant coach, Liam Ross, praised both his side's quality and dead-ball prowess following last night's 4-1 victory over Motherwell in league action.

The young Gers were at their rampant best in Lanarkshire as Oliver Hynd netted twice from set-piece situations to supplement goals from Chris Condy and Aiden McCallion.

Ross paid tribute to the buy-in from coaches and players on the training pitch to maximise their dead-ball threat, which bore fruit in the win.

Speaking to RangersTV to reflect on the triumph, he said: "We were happy to get the three points.

"There were bits of the game that I really enjoyed, and parts we can definitely improve on as the game became quite transitional in the end, and perhaps a bit too open.

"We knew going there would be difficult. We went there last season and lost the game. We knew we would have to win in a totally different way.

"From a staff perspective, we're happy that we won by outrunning them - we were really aggressive.

"We managed to steal the ball in their half quite a few times and create opportunities from there. I'm pleased with that aspect and it's good to turn them into goals.

There were plenty of encouraging individual displays across the pitch as Alexander Smith laid on a pair of assists, Lewis Stewart was a thorn in the opposition down the left-hand side, while captain Aiden McCallion both scored and turned provider for the fourth.

It was also a special evening for Hynd, whose brace was the culmination of a strong start to the campaign for the defender.

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271025 Motherwell u19 vs Rangers u19, Alexander Smith 45

Ross added: "[Hynd] is a perfect example of someone who has had tough moments on his journey, certainly in the last year-and-a-half.

"He's a player that gives his all every training session, and he's always ready.

"He's a brilliant player to have in the changing room and he's a leader. I'm really pleased to see him score twice.

"It's about getting these boys into areas of the pitch where they can be effective.

"I thought Alexander Smith picked up some really key positions in both halves. It was difficult to mark, and he showed his quality when he got on the ball in terms of making through passes.

"Lewis [Stewart] is just really exciting every time he gets on the ball and was really positive with the ball, and when he plays like he did, he's a really difficult player to play against."

   

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