RANGERS hosted Brentford in a bounce match this afternoon as the sides drew 2-2 at Auchenhowie.
Amad Diallo netted two first-half goals, with Zanka and Tristan Crama on target for the visitors.
The match provided a number of first-team players with valuable minutes against strong opposition from the English Premiership side.
The Light Blues lined-up with Robby McCrorie in goal and a back four of Mateusz Zukowski, Jack Simpson, Leon Balogun and Leon King.
Steven Davis captained the side and was joined in midfield by Glen Kamara and James Sands while Kemar Roofe was supported up front by Scott Wright and Amad Diallo.
The visitors travelled to Glasgow with an experienced squad made up of a mix of first-team and B team players, which included Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen tested Robby McCrorie with the first shot of the match inside the opening 10 minutes as the ball broke to him on the edge of the box but his effort was held comfortably by the Rangers keeper before Steven Davis picked out Kemar Roofe at the other end but his shot was blocked by the Brentford defence.
Just after the 15 minute mark it was the visitors who took the lead at Rangers Training Centre. Eriksen swung a corner into the box and centre-back Zanka glanced a header across goal and beyond McCrorie.
Steven Davis linked-up well with Amad Diallo shortly after as Rangers looked for an equaliser. The Northern Irishman found the run of Diallo with a lovely cross-field ball and the winger cut inside and returned the ball to Davis on the edge of the box but he couldn't keep his effort down as it drifted over the bar.
Diallo did get the equaliser shortly after as a ball down the right from Mateusz Zukowski found the winger in the box and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
There were good chances for both sides in the first-half and Robby McCrorie denied the London side a second. Eriksen played a ball through to Saman Ghoddos who had made a darting run into the box but the Gers’ keeper was alert to come out and block the shot. The rebound fell back to Ghoddos on the edge of the box and he tried to play a ball back across goal but McCrorie got another touch before the danger was cleared.
Rangers were awarded a penalty on the 34th minute as Scott Wright drove down the left before cutting into the box, the winger showed strength to drive towards goal under pressure from a Brentford defender before being brought down by goalkeeper Alvaro Fernandez.
Kemar Roofe stepped up to the spot but his right-footed penalty was saved by Fernandez, however Amad Diallo reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and fire into the back of the net.
Before half-time, Scott Wright again found joy down the left before delivering a dangerous ball into the box which Kemar Roofe turned goalward, but the good build-up play from Gers was met with an equally good save as Fernandez got a touch on the shot to push it wide.
From the resulting corner, Amad Diallo’s delivery met Kemar Roofe at the back post but the linesman had his flag up for offside as the ball landed in the back of the net.
Eriksen saw a shot pushed wide by Robby McCrorie before the break as Gers went in with a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Into the second-half, Alex Lowry and Johnly Yfeko were introduced for Amad Diallo and Leon Balogun.
Another dangerous set-piece from Christian Eriksen saw Brentford equalise as he swung a free-kick into the box which Tristan Crama headed into the back of the net.
Rangers made a triple change on the hour mark as B team players Charlie McCann, Juan Alegria and Kane Ritchie-Hosler were all introduced with Kemar Roofe, Steven Davis and Glen Kamara coming off.
Alex Lowry almost had a third for Rangers with a fantastic shot from distance which was heading for the top corner but Fernandez got a touch to tip it behind for a corner. Juan Alergria was denied from close range by Fernandez shortly after as the keeper did well to block a shot from the striker after a ball into the box from Scott Wright.
In the final stages of the match, Rangers had a corner which was swung into the box by Alex Lowry and met Juan Alegria at the back post but his shot drifted just over the bar as the match finished level.
Rangers: McCrorie, Zukowski, King, Simpson, Balogun (Yfeko, 46), Sands, Wright, Kamara (McCann, 61), Diallo (Lowry, 46), Davis (Ritchie-Hosler, 61), Roofe (Alegria, 61).
Subs: Hogarth, Fraser.
Brentford: Fernandez, Stevens, Sorenson, Crama, Ghoddos (Maghoma,76), Onyeka, Eriksen (Trevitt, 76), Zanka (Young-Coombes, 61), Fosu-Henry, Baptiste, Roerslev.
Subs: Lossl, Hockenhull.
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