RANGERS B team ended their pre-season friendly in a 6-3 defeat against Glentoran at the Oval in Belfast.
A first-half double from Josh McPake and a second-half goal from a Rangers trialist wasn’t enough for McCallum’s side this afternoon after the Glens netted six to secure a home win.
The Light Blues lined-up with a back four of Robbie Fraser, Connor Allan, Lewis MacKinnon, and Kane Ritchie-Hosler with Lewis Budinauckas behind them in goals.
Former Glentoran youngster, Charlie Lindsay was joined in midfield by Darren McInally and McPake, while Ross McCausland and Arron Lyall supported Tony Weston up front.
Despite the cloudy conditions, it was a warm day in East Belfast with numerous Rangers supporters coming along to the Oval to watch the young Gers in action.
A minute’s silence was held before the game started to remember Rangers legend, Andy ‘The Goalie’ Goram, who sadly passed away last weekend.The game started in an entertaining fashion, with three goals being scored within the first 15 minutes, with the first being netted only a few minutes in. Conor McMenamin sent the ball into the Rangers box where Jay Donnelly was on hand to tap it past Budinauckas to give the home side an early advantage.
McCausland tried to strike back quickly from the edge of the Glentoran box, but Paddy McClean intercepted the effort.
The young Gers tried to maintain this momentum as they looked to find a quick equaliser. McPake collected the ball in the middle of the park and was able to pick out a pocket of space to thread a lovely pass to Weston in the box who switched to Lyall at the back post, but the Ger was just unable to deliver with his effort.
Despite these efforts, it was the home side who were able to double their lead 10 minutes after the opening goal. Former Ger, Aidan Wilson was able to connect from a cross ball delivery and sent a great effort towards the net, but Budinauckas made a sensational block to deny the goal. However, McClean managed to get a foot to the stray ball and sent a ferocious effort into the back of the net.
Only a few minutes later, McPake collected a wonderful delivery from Fraser in the Glentoran box and slid a powerful low effort past Aaron McCarry to close the deficit by one.
It was Glentoran however that continued to pressurise the Light Blues’ final third with Rhys Marshall firing a low effort across the face of the goal, but it just fell past the back post.
In the final few minutes before the break, the Gers found the equalising goal after McPake found his second of the afternoon. After an initial block from the keeper from Weston’s strike, the youngster was able to get onto the end of the deflection and hit the back of the net.
However, less than a minute later, Donnelly found another for his side after a close-range strike to give the home team the single-goal lead heading into the break.
As McCallum’s side headed into the second half, the squad started with good pace and momentum to try and level the score line.
Lindsay and a Rangers trialist linked up well in the home side’s box, the former Glentoran youngster managed to get a touch to the ball and sent a strike towards the goal, but it fell just wide of the net.
The Glen’s continued to threaten the Rangers final third and pressurise the defending backline. After some effective build-up play, Ally Roy managed to tap a close-range effort past Budinauckas to gain a two-goal lead just over ten minutes into the second half.
Substitute Zak Lovelace went close with an effort to deliver a third for the Gers after dancing past the Glentoran backline in a congested box, but his shot fell just wide of the post.
On the 73rd minute, Glentoran were awarded a penalty after Jordan Jenkins was brought down in the Rangers box. Jenkins managed to score from the penalty spot to give the home side a three-goal advantage.
With less than a minute later, a trialist for Rangers managed to close the score line after a close-range effort into the back of the net.
However, in the 82nd minute, Glentoran scored after Danny Purkis headed home the final goal of the game to make it 6–3.
RANGERS B: Budinauckas, Ritchie-Hosler, Fraser (Harkness, 40), Allan (H. Ewen, 40), MacKinnon (K. Ewen, 60), McInally (Graham, 70), Lyall (Trialist, 46), Lindsay, Weston (Strachan, 70), McPake, McCausland (Lovelace, 58).
UNUSED SUBS: Pazikas.
GLENTORAN FC: McCarey, Wightman, Wilson, McClean, Kane, Burns, Marshall, Roy, R. Donnelly, McMenamin, J. Donnelly.
SUBS: Webber, Singleton, Murray, Clucas, O’Conner, Smith, Crowe, Purkis, Cushnie, Plum, Jenkins, Cole, Russell, Stewart.