RANGERS B Team claimed a well deserved three points this afternoon after a 5-2 victory against Dalbeattie Star at Islecroft Stadium in the Lowland League.
It was an impressive first-half performance from David McCallum’s side after a goal from Arron Lyall and a hattrick from Zak Lovelace gave the young Gers a positive four-goal lead at the end of the first 45, followed by Charlie Lindsay’s penalty kick to give his side five goals away from home.
It was an incredibly rainy afternoon at Dalbeattie today as the young Gers looked to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing league match draw against Caledonian Braves.
From the team that started last weekend, the B team boss made seven changes to his starting eleven with Jacob Pazikas replacing Lewis Budinauckas in goals to make his first league start of the season.
Robbie Fraser, Connor Allan, Lewis MacKinnon, and Jack Harkness were in front of him as the defensive backline.
Connor Young joins Charlie Lindsay and Mackenzie Strachan in the midfield, with Arron Lyall and Kane Ritchie-Hosler supporting Zak Lovelace up front.
Lewis Budinauckas, Kelsey Ewen, Harley Ewen, Darren McInally, James Graham, Ross McCausland, and Robbie Ure were all available to McCallum on the bench.
Rangers looked bright in the opening five minutes and were clearly focussed on delivering a positive start, and it was Lovelace who sent an early effort towards the Dalbeattie goal, but McCready was on hand to collect the close-range strike.
The attacking front three continued to cause problems and create pressure in Dalbeattie’s box as they looked to secure the advantage in the opening minutes of the match, and it was that man Lovelace who was first to break the deadlock as he sent a brisk close ranged effort past the keeper from within the Dalbeattie box.
The home side reacted to this early breakthrough as they managed to break past the Gers defending line and pushed towards Pazikas in goals. Murphy found the ball at the front post and tapped an effort towards the back of the net, but the youngster safely collected the effort.
Less than ten minutes after the initial goal, Lovelace was again on the scoresheet as he doubled the lead for McCallum’s side. Young and Lovelace linked up well to weave past several red shirts with some lovely play in the Dalbeattie final third before the youngster sent a composed and angled strike into the back of the net to make it two.
15 minutes before the end of the first half, the Light Blues looked the more likely to score another goal, and it was Lyall who was on hand to give his side the third of the afternoon.
Lovelace threaded a sublime overhead delivery from the edge of the Dalbeattie box to meet an unmarked Lyall at the back post. The youngster took an excellent first-touch volley that sailed past McCready to give his side a three-goal lead.
The relentless desire from the squad did not diminish as they continued to create a few more chances and lovely build-up play in the Dalbeattie half. In a similar fashion to his second goal of the afternoon, Lovelace was able to complete his hattrick only a few short minutes after Lyall hit the back of the net.
The Light Blue continued to be a thorn in the Dalbeattie box and took a powerful low angled strike to hit the bottom left corner of the net once again. It was an impressive first-half performance from the youngster as the Gers headed in for the half-time break with a strong lead.
McCallum made one change as the squad returned for the second half, with Darren McInally replacing Strachan in the midfield.
It was Dalbeattie who carried the early threat in the opening minutes of the second 45 as they looked to close the gap. Murphy got on the end of a corner delivery and sent a low-powered strike towards the Rangers goal, but Pazikas made a sensational dive to keep the Gers four up.
Dalbeattie kept up their efforts, and in the 53rd minute, it was Murphy who netted their first of the afternoon following the early pressure in the second half. He managed to find some space to slide a low strike past Pazikas into the bottom left corner from within a congested Rangers box.
Twelve minutes later, the home side reduced the deficit further after finding some space to break past the Rangers' defence. Caffrey managed to drive into the Rangers' final third and picked Ocholi on the edge of the box who sent a deft first touch effort past Pazikas to close the deficit to two.
McCallum’s squad looked to rectify the score line and found space to work their way closer toward McCready in goals. Lindsay, Graham, and Ure all sent efforts to the Dalbeattie goal, but the keeper did well to defuse the danger.
Five minutes before the end of the second half, Rangers were awarded a penalty after Ure was brought down in the Dalbeattie box. Lindsay stood up to execute the spot kick and calmly slotted it past the keeper to give Rangers a 5-2 victory away from home.
RANGERS: Pazikas, Fraser, Allan, MacKinnon, Harkness, Lindsay, Strachan (McInally, 46), Young (Graham, 66), Lyall (McCausland, 70), Ritchie-Hosler, Lovelace (Ure, 66).
SUBS: Budinauckas, K. Ewen, H. Ewen.
DALBEATTIE STAR: McCready, Sylla, Kavanagh, Logan, Murphy, Craig, Currie, Degnan, Ocholi, Williamson, Kelly.
SUBS: Johnson, Caffrey, Milligan Trialist, Emmerson, Ebbs.
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